BERLIN—Chinese and German scholars of such disciplines as philosophy, economics, law, sociology and public administration recently gathered in Berlin, Germany, to discuss social issues facing both countries.

Under the theme of “New Development Ideas and Rapidly Changing Society,” the fourth Germany-China Academic Forum was held from Nov. 10 to 11 at Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) in Berlin. It was co-hosted by the Social Sciences in China Press (SSCP) under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Bonner Akademie Fur Forschung und Lehre Praktischer Politik (BAPP).

Though migration and gender equality are major social problems facing European countries, Gunter Schubert, a professor from the University of Tübingen, placed the focus on immigration in China. The international immigration wave will gradually sweep across China, turning it from a country of emigration into one of immigration, Schubert said, adding that whether China can handle the immigration issue will test the country’s “future abilities.”

Schubert also pointed out the internal migration from the countryside to cities, calling for improvements of related laws and regulations.

Ding Yun, a professor of philosophy from Fudan University, took the “clash of civilizations” as a starting point, contending that the paradox of political correctness is the biggest challenge to modern political ideas posed by immigration flows.

The immigration wave and religious populism of ethnic minorities have contributed to a revival of conservatism in Western Europe, Ding said. Religious populism and conservatism are part of a worldwide trend against globalization. Due to these restraints, it has been more difficult for ethnically different communities and worlds to dialogue, Ding added.

Analyzing the immigration situation in Germany, Klaus Deimel, deputy dean of the School of Economics at Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, predicted that the German population will continue to grow in the future.

The medical insurance system should protect senior citizens, increase subsidies for them and reinforce infrastructure construction to cope with the immigrant population, Deimel said.

Wang Tianfu, deputy dean of the Department of Sociology at Tsinghua University, described the status quo and predicament of China’s aging population. China is likewise under pressure from population aging, and delaying the retirement age has been put on the agenda. One-child couples face particularly great difficulties in providing for the aged, Wang added.

“The situation varies from group to group,” said Ke Jinhua, director of the Department of Philosophy and Sociology at the SSCP. China should concentrate pensions on seniors with dementia, the disabled and families that have lost their only child.

Regarding gender issues, Claudia Wich-Reif, a professor at the University of Bonn, noted that the higher the academic title, the lower the ratio of females in German universities.

The University of Bonn has been promoting gender equality, such as launching a female promotion campaign to increase the ratio of women in workplace. However, Wich-Reif maintained that gender equality does not mean to ignore the differences between men and women, nor does it mean to discriminate or offer preferential treatment based on gender.

Ding and Peking University Professor Qiu Zeqi agreed that it is necessary to define discrimination based on specific constraint conditions rather than apply the concept mechanically to social phenomena.

Many issues are common, said BAPP Dean Bodo Hombach in his closing remarks. China is not far from Germany, so the two countries should tackle common challenges together, he added.