Opole University of Technology (Polish name: Politechnika Opolska; sometimes called in English Technical University of Opole) is a university located in Opole, Poland. The university was founded in the year 1959 as a consultative branch of Silesian University of Technology. In 1966 it became an independent university known as Wyższa Szkoła Inżynierska w Opolu (Higher School of Engineering in Opole). The name Politechnika Opolska (Opole University of Technology) is used since 1996. The university has over 500 lecturers and over 12000 students. There are six faculties: In the year 2008, the Opole University of Technology in Cooperation with the Beijing University of Technology have opened the Opole Confucius Institute. Centre for Cooperation Poland-China Confucius Institute is a non-profit public utility institution whose mission is promoting Chinese language and culture. The Institute is working for the benefit of this University and the Opole local community. The Opole Centre is one of the 200 such offices in the world associated in an international web, whose principal office Hanban (Office of Chinese Language Council International) is situated in Beijing.