“2025 International Forum on Mutual Learning among Civilizations” witnesses its grand opening, working together on a new pattern for inter-civilizational exchange and dialogue
Presented by the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region, organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, and supported by the Chinese Academy of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the “2025 International Forum on Mutual Learning among Civilizations” was grandly held today (16 December) at the Grand Ballroom of the JW Marriott Hotel Macau.
The opening ceremony was held at 10am, and was officiated by the Acting Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region, Secretary for Administration and Justice, Wong Sio Chak; the Deputy Minister of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Wang Gang; the Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR, Huang Liuquan; the President of Peking University, Gong Qihuang; the Acting Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Macao SAR, Cheng Lei; the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, O Lam; and the Director of the Information Bureau of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Zhang Qiang.
The Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, O Lam, said in her opening speech that the “2025 International Forum on Mutual Learning among Civilizations” marks a new starting point for advancing inter-civilizational dialogue with Macao as a platform. She expressed her hope that guests and scholars would delve into the cultural value of Macao, draw upon the wisdom of mutual learning among civilizations, and develop a replicable dialogue model arising from the prosperity of diverse cultures, thereby offering a “Macao solution” for global cultural exchange. She also hoped that visionary individuals worldwide would use this forum as an opportunity to propose a “Macao Initiative” that approaches different civilizations with equality and respect, and promotes dialogue and cooperation with an open and inclusive mindset, thereby enriching the garden of human civilization.
The Deputy Minister of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Wang Gang, said in his speech that the “2025 International Forum on Mutual Learning among Civilizations”, held in Macao, is a timely and significant event that vividly implements President Xi’s initiative Jinping on global civilizations. It provides a platform for equal dialogue, exchange, mutual learning and inspiration among different civilizations. He suggested that we should respect diverse civilizations and deepen mutual learning and appreciation; promote shared values and foster harmonious coexistence; safeguard cultural treasures while strengthening inheritance and innovation; deepen cultural exchanges to build consensus on cooperation. He called on participating experts and scholars to generate new ideas, build consensus through exchanges, draw strength from mutual learning, and jointly inject new momentum into the prosperity of human civilizations.
Themed “Mutual Learning among Civilizations, Inheritance and Development”, the Forum brings together representatives from government departments and international organizations, as well as renowned experts and scholars from home and abroad. Distinguished guests engaged in in-depth discussions on the practical pathways for mutual learning among civilizations through thematic sessions and academic exchange sessions. Six word-acclaimed experts in the cultural field shared their insights in their “keynote speeches”, including “Enlightening Civilizational Dialogue and Mutual Learning Through Historical Perspectives” by the Member of the Academic Division of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Vice President of the Chinese Academy of History, Li Guoqiang; “From the Silk Road to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI)” by the Member of the Academia Europaea, Research Professor and Director of the Obama Institute at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany, Alfred Hornung; “Mutual Learning and Co-Flourishing: On Civilizational Exchange and Heritage” by the Boya Chair Professor of the Peking University, Qian Chengdan; “Macao’s Role, Wisdom and Mission in Inter-civilizational Dialogue” by the Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference on Culture, History and Learning, and Chairman of the Administrative Committee of the Macao Foundation, Wu Zhiliang; “Chinese Civilization and Its Modernity” by the Dean of the School of Public Policy, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and Director of the Institute for International Affairs, Qianhai, Zheng Yongnian; and “The Liangzhu Practice of Cultural Heritage Sharing and Mutual Learning among Civilizations” by the Director of the Liangzhu Museum (Liangzhu Research Institute), Xu Tianjin.
In the afternoon of the same day, two parallel sub-forums entitled “Mutual Learning among Civilizations and Diverse Coexistence” and “Conservation and Sustainable Development of Cultural Heritage” were held simultaneously. Several high-quality keynote speeches and academic exchange sessions offered attendees a wealth of profound intellectual inspiration.
