Academics focus on civilization

Benoit Vermander, a professor from the department of religion, School of Philosophy, Fudan University, said that in communication, cultures will substitute each other and to a certain degree share emotions and memories with each other. This kind of mutual substitutions and sharing will translate, create, and convey meaning and significance. When culture flows and circulates, it will be reconstructed by interpretations of other cultures, worldviews and religions, he said.

All civilizations and worldviews gain the drive to develop from continuous reconstruction. Their definitions will never be taken for granted, but will be discovered and challenged in communication and interpretation. In this interactive dialogue, remaining localized will be a solution to our common challenges, he said.

Egyptian Sinologist Hassan Ragab said the Global Civilization Initiative, proposed by Xi, advocates common values for humans. Peace, development, equality, justice, democracy and freedom are the common pursuits of all human beings, he said, adding that he hoped China and Egypt can continue to deepen cooperation to provide more stability and drive for the global peaceful development.

Ragnar Baldursson, a scholar of Chinese philosophy and former diplomat at the Icelandic embassy in Beijing, cited the Chinese classic The Book of Rites that "when the great way prevails, all things under heaven are shared equally and justly", saying that ancient Chinese in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC) had called for the way to promote development with peace, and the inclusive attitude to pursue the ideal of a harmonious world. The new global value of a community with shared future for mankind originated from the profound Chinese traditional thought and culture, he said.

Zhang Xiping, chief editor of International Sinology journal, concluded that through the lecture, Sinologists from different countries shared their ideas about modern significance of ancient civilizations, contributing their wisdom and strength to mutual learning and benefit between civilizations and construction of a community with shared future for mankind.