The news release conference concerning the Second World Conference of Sinology held at Renmin University of China

On the morning of October 26th , 2009 the Hanban (National Institute for the Promotion of the Han-Chinese language) and the Renmin University of China jointly held the news release conference concerning the Second World Conference of Sinology and reported about the preparations for the Second World Conference of Sinology held at Renmin University of China from the 30th of October to the 1st of November. The vice director of Hanban Mr. Jianfei Ma, the vice rector of Renmin University of China, Mr. Huilin Yang, the head of the School of Liberal Arts of Renmin University, Prof. Sun Yu, the vice director Prof. Youzhuang Geng, and the head of the School of Philosophy, Prof. Fenglei Zhang, chaired the news release conference. More that 40 journalists from Xinhua News, People’s Daily, CCTV, Hong Kong’s Wenhui Bao and from other national and international news agencies attended the conference.

The news release conference was directed by the head of the Propaganda Department of the Party Committee of Renmin University of China, Mr. Shuiquan Zheng. First the vice director of Hanban, Mr. Ma Jianfei presented an introduction concerning the Second World Conference of Sinology, the propagation of Han-Chinese abroad and the establishment of Confucius Institutes abroad. He emphasized that following the growing interest created by the international “Sinology fever” and “China fever”, the establishment of the Confucius Institutes obtains the general support of international sinology and of the Chinese academia while at the same time promoting sinological studies and China studies abroad. The Hanban cooperates with overseas sinologists in projects such as the translations of classical scriptures, and it has set up study centers at Peking University and Renmin University of China for sinologists from abroad. These centers offer opportunities for foreign sinologists to learn about China and understand China better, and these study centers are thus becoming platforms and windows of cultural dialogue. On the basis of the First World Conference of Sinology that was successfully held in 2007, the Second Conference will concentrate even more on practical results and will have a more profound and concrete topical focus in the areas of sinological research and education. The World Conference of Sinology will aid in “welcoming the sinologists at home”, it will offer a new platform, a new starting point and a new horizon for sinology, and it will enrich sinological studies abroad with new vigor.  

The vice president of Renmin University of China, Mr. Huilin Yang, presented an overview of the preparation work for the Second World Conference of Sinology. Among the participants of this conference are 80 foreign scholars and 110 sinologists from China. The discussions will be inspired by the main topic “Sinology and Cross-Cultural Dialogue”, and the themes of the six panel groups are “Sinology and the Dialogue of Culture”, “Sinology and Historical Studies”, “Sinology and Chinese Literature”, “Sinology and the Translation of Chinese Classics”, “Sinology and Chinese Opera”, and “Confucius Institute Discussion Forum”. At the same time there will be two “round table discussions” entitled “Unearthed Documents and Sinology”, and “The Interaction between Chinese Literature and Contemporary Sinology”. Prof. Huilin Yang explained that this sinological conference drew the strong interest of more than 70 foreign scholars, including the editor of the Cambridge History of China, Loewe, Prof. emeritus of Cambridge University, England, and the author of the Manifest towards a Global Ethics, Hans Kueng, Prof. emeritus of Tuebingen University, Germany. The two round table discussions would surely be highly interesting, since they will give opportunity to more than a dozen Chinese and foreign celebrated scholars to discuss with each other.

The dean of the School of Liberal Arts, Prof. Yu Sun, explained to the journalists the planned visit to the Palace Museum (Gugong) during the conference. This time the participants and scholars, and especially the foreign sinologists would be able to have a close look at the national treasures of the Palace Museum, which will have deep meaning for future sinological research. The vice dean of the School of Liberal Arts, Prof. Youzhuang Geng talked about the experts participating in the conference and about their study papers, and he answered the questions asked by the journalists.

 The World Conference of Sinology is jointly organized by the head office of the Confucius Institute, namely the Hanban and by Renmin University of China. The executing organization is the Study Center for the International Promotion of Han-Chinese (Hanyu Guoji Tuiguang Yanjiusuo) of the Renmin University of China, and the conference is held once in two years. The first conference was successfully held at Renmin University of China. At this conference around 180 famous scholars and experts from China and abroad will take part in academic discussions centered on the theme “Sinology and Cross-Cultural Dialogue”. The “Study Base for International Young Sinologists” and the College for Higher Religious Studies of Renmin University of China will be formally opened during the conference.


Among the participants of the news release conference there were also the respective directors of the Hanban offices, experts and scholars, and representatives from the propaganda department of the Party Committee of Renmin University of China, the International Affairs Office, the School of Liberal Arts, and the School of Philosophy.