Iran's first Confucius Institute, co-founded by Yunnan University and the University of Tehran, officially opened in Tehran on Monday.

The ceremony was also attended by China's ambassador to Iran, Xie Xiaoyan (解晓岩), who spoke at the ceremony and encouraged more exchanges between the people of China and Iran.

As an organization aimed at increasing knowledge of Chinese language and culture worldwide since 2004, the Confucius Institute is often compared to Germany's Goethe-Institut and the UK's British Council.

Unlike the Goethe-Institut and British Council, the Confucius Institute operates within partner universities – an arrangement which its critics claim can influence what is taught – or omitted – in the classroom.

There are 250 Confucius Institutes worldwide in 79 countries. The Tehran Confucius Institute will start with 57 students in four Chinese-language classes.