From April 6 to 9, 2024, Xiamen University successfully held its first Forum on Chinese Modernization from Overseas Perspectives, bringing together leading international sinologists and young scholars to examine China’s development path, cross-cultural exchange, and the vision of a shared future for humanity. Co-organized by multiple university departments and provincial government units, the event fostered meaningful academic dialogue on China’s unique modernization model.
The opening ceremony featured remarks from XMU Vice President Shi Dalin, who underscored the global significance of Chinese modernization, and Professor Chen Jing, Dean of the College of Foreign Languages and Cultures, who highlighted language’s crucial role in facilitating civilizational dialogue. Distinguished keynote speakers included Professor Hans van Ess, Vice President of the University of Munich, who shared insights from his translation of The Analects of Confucius, and Professor Federico Masini from Sapienza University of Rome, who traced centuries of Sino-Italian cultural exchange. A roundtable discussion on “Language Spread, Classics Translation, and Modernization” further deepened scholarly exchange among renowned sinologists.
Parallel sessions explored themes such as “Fujian and the Maritime Silk Road” and “Comparative Perspectives on Civilizational Mutual Learning,” with scholars from Italy, the U.S., Germany, Japan, and other countries contributing diverse viewpoints. From April 7 to 8, participants conducted field research in Quanzhou and Fuzhou, visiting key historical sites including the Quanzhou Maritime Museum and the China Shipbuilding Museum to gain firsthand understanding of Fujian’s maritime heritage.
The forum concluded with closing speeches by Professor Tiziana Lippiello, Rector of Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, and Professor Helwig Schmidt-Glintzer of the University of Göttingen, who reflected on Sino-Western cultural exchange and the distinctive nature of Chinese modernization. By fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and international collaboration, the event advanced global scholarship on China’s development while strengthening academic and cultural ties.
