Renmin University of China hosts the 2018 CCSP PhD Forum

On June 7-8, Renmin University of China played host to the 2018 "Confucius China Studies Program" PhD Forum.

The Forum comprises of six panels, with each panel led by two Chinese professors who commented on the talks, and provided advices and criticisms.

All the participants are top students from leading universities in East Asia, Europe and the Middle East. All the participants in the CCSP Program are currently studying or doing researches in universities of Beijing and Tianjin. Among the guests were students and professors are all over the globe as well as representatives of the Confucius Institute Headquarters.

The forum addressed a wide range of issues, from analyzing metaphors in Chinese thought to understanding China’s international relations with foreign countries. On the first day, there were five talks on linguistics, including the linguistic comparison between Chinese and East Asian languages; and how to convey Chinese ideas to Arabic-speaking people.

But more talks focused on the nature of religion in China, religious belongings and the attempts of Buddhist organizations to promote Buddhism to the younger generation. There were also two other talks about the modern economic relations between China and Latin American countries.

The second day began with analyzing the nature of China’s consultative democracy, followed by a talk on Wang Fengyi’s ideas on education and a presentation on the question of how we should understand and study China’s middle class.

The Forum concluded with two talks exploring such historical matters as the emergence of open-handed martial arts in the sixteenth century and the effects of malaria on China’s South-Western border during the Song dynasty.

The Confucius China Studies Program was established in 2012 to provide financial support and academic training to young scholars engaged in researches related to traditional Chinese culture and history as well as contemporary issues in China.

Renmin University of China has been accepting students from this program since 2013, providing additional academic support and a platform for forums, conferences and other opportunities for interaction and communication.

The recent PhD forum allowed participating students from different fields and backgrounds to gather together, draw from each other's experience and strengthen their network within the Chinese academic community. Such network is beneficial for developing their researches, and more importantly – making the best use of their time in China.