On April 16, a delegation headed by Xu Yongji, Deputy Secretary-General of the International Confucian Association (ICA) and Director of the ICA Member Liaison Committee, visited Nankai University (NKU) to conduct research and exchange views on further deepening strategic cooperation between the two sides. Li Huanmei, Deputy Director of the ICA Member Liaison Committee, joined the delegation.

NKU hosted a symposium at the Haibing Center on the Balitai Campus. Qu Mingjun, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Nankai University Committee, presided over the meeting.

Mr. Xu lauded NKU’s century-old history, academic strengths, cutting-edge research in humanities and social sciences, as well as outstanding contributions to cultural preservation and development and global civilizational exchange. He also underscored ICA’s mission to promote cultural heritage and innovation and facilitate cross-civilization dialogue through Confucianism and traditional Chinese culture. Mr. Xu reviewed ICA’s key initiatives in recent years, including hosting international academic conferences, Forum des civilisations: Harmonie et unite, and other high-profile events, founding a high-level bilingual (Chinese/English) academic journal—International Studies on Confucianism, rolling out the “Enlightening the World” book series, and launching the Scholars Program, which is dedicated to cultivating top-tier talents in Chinese studies. Mr. Xu encouraged NKU to further leverage its academic strengths to advance research and dissemination of Confucianism and traditional Chinese culture. He called for greater efforts from both sides to enhance China’s cultural soft power, amplify the global influence of Chinese culture, and build a shared future for humanity.

Mr. Qu expressed appreciation for ICA’s longstanding support for NKU and emphasized that NKU highly values the strategic partnership with ICA. He noted

the fruitful collaboration between the two sides in establishing the Jialing Academy and organizing the Jialing Cup–Chinese Poetry Teaching series. According to Mr. Qu, NKU will build on its strengths, pool the wisdom of experts and scholars, and deepen cooperation with ICA to ensure the successful execution of the International Symposium on Chinese Poetry Teaching, along with a series of related academic initiatives. Meanwhile, NKU will contribute high-quality research to International Studies on Confucianism, call for active participation in the Scholars Program, and invite more scholars to share perspectives at global forums like Forum des civilisations: Harmonie et unite, to amplify the global reach of Chinese civilization and jointly build up China's cultural strength through a strengthened partnership between the two sides.

NKU and ICA entered into a strategic cooperation agreement in July 2021. Within the cooperation framework, both sides have worked closely to establish the Jialing Academy and organize high-profile academic events including international conferences on Chinese poetics and poetry teaching, which convene global scholars and experts to explore the profound meaning, contemporary sociocultural value, and strategies for international dissemination of Chinese poetics and poetry teaching. The Jialing Cup–Chinese Poetry Teaching program, among other events co-hosted by the two sides, has engaged overseas enthusiasts of Chinese poetry, expanded the global reach of traditional Chinese culture and facilitated cross-cultural dialogue.

（Edited and translated by Nankai News Team.)