Shanghai University of Finance and Economics currently has two Confucius Institutes: The Confucius Institute at Tallinn University, Estonia (established in December 2014, current Chinese Director Zhang Daqiu), and the Confucius Institute at Queen Mary University of London, England (established in October 2015, current Chinese Director Zou Ping).

The Confucius Institutes of the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics were established with the mission to promote cultural exchange between China and foreign countries, as well as develop mutual learning between civilizations. They have a duty to propagate Chinese commercial civilization, with their working principle to prioritize special features, center on quality, be strong and steady, and focus on the long-term aspects”. They are committed to spread the Chinese language in the local environment, develop outstanding Chinese language teachers, and promote exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and foreign institutes in terms of the Chinese language and other academic aspects.

In order to strengthen the management of the Confucius Institutes, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics has established a university-level management group to lead the Confucius Institutes. This group makes decisions concerning the construction of Confucius Institutes and major issues in their development, and it has established an office to improve the working mechanism and system.