Global scholars who attended the recently-concluded World Conference on China Studies in Shanghai have pointed to the importance of deepening studies into China in order to cultivate a better understanding of the country and apply these key findings to help the development of their own countries and regions.
The second edition of the World Conference on China Studies wrapped up on Wednesday after gathering around 500 guests from over 50 countries and regions around the world.
Themed "Historical and Contemporary China: A Global Perspective", the two-day conference was organized by the State Council Information Office and the Shanghai municipal government, with co-sponsorship from other government agencies and academic institutions.
The concept of China studies spans a wide array of topics including history, society, and culture, and seeks to broaden knowledge about the country.
A number of the attendees present at the research gala in Shanghai have sought to use China as a case study which can help push forward development in their own countries.
Renzo Burotto Pinochet, a historian from Chile, said he finds Chinese history "intriguing and fascinating" and hopes to help share these important stories with more people across Latin America.
"There's no other country with a history like China and I think especially today because China is so important and it's a leader for the Global South. I think that the rest of the Global South countries, in Latin America especially, we have [only] a little understanding of China. So I think that our work is aiming to bridge these gaps in information," he said.
Others are looking to learn more about China's way of doing things, including in the education sector, where they believe such successful models can be implemented to their own countries.
"China has changed tremendously in my lifetime, also in the aspects of education, (there) have been several major educational reforms in the last 20 years. So my impression is that China has a very dynamic educational system and are striving to find the best solutions to implement in their educational system, which makes it highly interesting to study how things are done in China," said Dag-Inge Boe, a PhD Student from the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences.
Studying and learning from China's development is of particular interest to countries across the Global South, many of whom already enjoy strong ties with China and hope to deepen cooperation even further.
"China is [one] of our best partners in terms of cooperation, in technology, development of infrastructure, and trade," said David Gamarra, Consul General of Peru in Shanghai.
The conference released the "Shanghai Initiative for Global Mutual Learning and Advancement of China Studies" and presented a recommended bibliography which included 54 recommended books written by authors from both China and overseas to help the international community learn about China's history, present and future.
Sub-forums addressed topics such as Chinese modernization, China studies in the era of digital intelligence, and the role of youth in the future of China studies, among other subjects.
The inaugural World Conference on China Studies was held in Shanghai in 2023.
Int'l scholars stress deepening studies to gain better understanding of China
