Experts gather in Shanghai for China knowledge seminar

More than 50 professors and experts in world history from across the country are convening this weekend at Shanghai International Studies University for a seminar themed "China's knowledge about the world".

The professors and experts are sharing their points of views on various topics, including China's knowledge about the world since the 19th century, the progress of China to gain the power of discourse on the global stage and building a human community with a shared destiny.

This is the first time for the university's Institute for the Global History of Civilizations, which is part of the university's research efforts in global governance and country and region studies, to hold such a seminar since its official establishment earlier this month.

Jiang Feng, the university's Party secretary, said that the establishment of the institute is among the university's explorations in the quest to becoming a first-class institute of higher education dedicated to international studies.

"Languages not only enable people to communicate but also exchange their different knowledge and cultural values. As an international studies university in the new era, it is our mission and opportunity to not only cultivate talents in interpretation but also structuring a system of global knowledge," he said.

Wu Yin, former deputy director of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Chinese people's understanding of the world has experienced various stages and changes since the 19th century, and the retrospect on the past could render scholars a more sensible view of the future, especially when the world is currently undergoing rapid transformation.

"We're in urgent need of innovation in social sciences studies in the new era and universities of international studies can make due contribution in this respect by setting up a knowledge discourse system and winning resonation of the international community with their unique advantages," she said.