Foreign scholars at the exhibition “Opening the Gate of Mutual Learning Among Civilizations” Photo: Yang Xue/CSST

Reflecting on the CSCSA’s trajectory over the past year is akin to witnessing a vivid scroll of inter-civilizational exchanges gradually unfurl. From Beijing to Athens, from the announcement of its founding and official inauguration to the opening of its new premises, and from a succession of academic seminars to a range of multidisciplinary archaeological initiatives, the CSCSA has developed into a high-level platform that facilitates deep engagement between Chinese and Western civilizations, yielding fruitful results.

Advocating for world classics

Since the first World Conference of Classics, the idea of “world classics” has attracted growing attention and recognition within international academia. The establishment of the CSCSA has propelled this concept from an academic initiative into a new phase of institutional development, and it is increasingly accepted by classicists around the world.

Over the past year, the CSCSA has broadened and deepened the vision of world classics through rigorous academic practice. Its scholarly footprint has extended to key centers of classical studies such as the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, while also engaging with academic institutions from the United Kingdom, the United States, France, and other countries with a presence in Athens, as well as with numerous museums and archaeological laboratories. These exchanges have gone well beyond the mere exchange of viewpoints; through active responses from Western scholars, they have cultivated a shared commitment to inter-civilizational mutual learning. Through sustained dialogue and intellectual engagement, the CSCSA has sown the seeds of exchange in the field of classical studies that make the global academic vision of world classics increasingly concrete and vivid.

For many years, classical studies in the West focused predominantly on narratives of ancient Greece and Rome—treating the works of Homer and Virgil and monuments like the Parthenon and the Roman Forum as “the sole luminous chapters” of human civilization. However, as the perspective of world classics circulates more widely, this Western-centered framework is being reconsidered.

The exchange platform established by the CSCSA has become a crucial arena for bringing diverse scholarly voices together, encouraging more pluralistic approaches to classical studies so that different civilizations can illuminate one another.

Historian Véronique Chankowski, director of the French School at Athens, observed that understanding the classical world requires examining relationships among civilizations through a broader, more interconnected lens, which in turn opens new paths for comparative research.

According to Menelaos Christopoulos, a professor emeritus of ancient Greek literature at the University of Patras, focusing exclusively on ancient Greece and Rome is far from sufficient for fully grasping the complex, multifaceted nature of civilizational development. Delving deep into other great ancient civilizations—especially ancient China—is not only necessary but indispensable.

These diverse perspectives converge on a central point: the need to move beyond a narrow definition of the “classics,” with comparative research emerging as a shared emphasis among scholars in both China and abroad.

Promoting inter-civilizational exchanges

President Xi has noted that “exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations form an important driver for human progress and global peace and development.” Embodying this principle, the CSCSA is committed to promoting the transmission and development of civilizations, strengthening international cultural exchanges, and advancing global civilizational dialogue.

In Greece—the cradle of Western civilization—archaeology has become a crucial means of deciphering the codes of civilizations and deepening exchanges and mutual learning between China and the West.

Since its establishment, the CSCSA has steadily advanced a series of archaeological projects and field investigations as Chinese scholars engage with greater confidence in core areas of Western civilization. They have conducted systematic investigations in regions across Greece, including Macedonia in the north, eastern Attica, Thrace, and Crete. Through close collaboration with local archaeological institutions, museums, universities, and foreign research organizations, the team has learned mature Mediterranean fieldwork protocols and reached cooperative agreements in areas such as site excavation, cultural relic protection, and exhibition utilization.

On June 26, during events marking the inauguration of its new premises, the CSCSA showcased major achievements in archaeological sciences and cultural heritage protection in China, highlighting the continual breakthroughs in interdisciplinary integration approaches and technological innovation within Chinese archaeology. These displays demonstrated the depth of exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese and world civilizations, offering Greek and international audiences distinctive Chinese perspectives in research interpretation and historical analysis.

The Dialogue on Exchanges and Mutual Learning Between Chinese and Greek Civilizations, held on Sept. 18, further underscored the CSCSA’s unique role as CASS’s first high-level overseas institution for classical studies. More than 200 experts and scholars from China, Greece, and beyond participated, engaging in comparative discussions under two themes: “Dialogue Between Ancient Philosophers: Diverse Civilizations, Inclusiveness, and Mutual Learning” and “Dialogue Between Ancient and Modern Thought: Inheritance, Innovation, and Civilizational Progress.” These discussions ranged from the philosophies of Confucius, Mencius, Legalism, and Daoism, to Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, addressing ethical cultivation, political governance, social order, outlooks on nature, and cultural creativity.

Beyond academic activities, the CSCSA also organized thematic exhibitions and book displays—such as “Mutual Learning Between East and West: Appreciating Beauty in Diversity” and “Opening the Gate of Mutual Learning Among Civilizations”—bringing inter-civilizational dialogue into the public sphere. Through a narrative interweaving time and space, the exhibitions presented the continuity of 5,000 years of Chinese civilization alongside ancient Greek civilization—from the Cycladic culture through the Byzantine period—on a single timeline, outlining a vivid historical panorama of Eastern and Western civilizations illuminating one another.

Meanwhile, the CSCSA’s archaeological library—its flagship component—has continued to deepen and expand its cultural engagement. With a collection of over 8,000 books and periodicals—ranging from Chinese classical texts and Western classical literature to archaeological reports, reference works, and research on traditional Chinese culture—augmented by digital resources from the National Center for Philosophy and Social Sciences Documentation, the library not only provides specialized literature support for academics but also welcomes the public. This shared knowledge space allows intellectual sparks to fly in Athens, bringing renewed vitality to deeper China-West exchanges.

Responding to contemporary questions

“Classical studies are not only about the ancient world but also a vital pathway to addressing contemporary civilizational issues,” said Li Xinwei, director of the CSCSA, explaining the most profound insight he has gained over the past year. Through a series of high-level academic initiatives, the CSCSA has transformed millennia-old classical wisdom into a “rubric” for tackling modern challenges such as cultural identity, global governance, and historical understanding, demonstrating the enduring relevance of civilization through dialogue between the past and the present.

On April 7, the International Conference on Epic Studies—co-organized by CASS’s Institute of Ethnic Literature and the CSCSA—brought together more than 80 scholars from China and abroad to examine “Epic Traditions and Mutual Learning Between Civilizations” in Athens. A key outcome was the consensus reached on the need to “expand the conceptual boundaries of the epic,” offering a multi-civilizational perspective on the contemporary challenge of “fostering cultural inclusivity.”

If the International Conference on Epic Studies addressed cultural identity by broadening the concept of the epic, the International Symposium on Human Rights Wisdom in Classical Civilization on June 26 explored diverse solutions for global human rights governance by examining the shared foundations of Eastern and Western classical civilizations.

To commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, and to showcase new advancements on WWII history in Chinese scholarship, the CSCSA hosted the launch of A New History of World War II and the international academic symposium “Rebirth from the Ashes: Civilization and War” on Aug. 28. Scholars from China and other countries delved into the relationship between war, civilization, and order, revitalizing historical wisdom through intellectual exchanges.

The significance of this event extended well beyond a typical book launch. By reconstructing historical narratives, it reaffirmed the historical status of the Chinese theatre in the World Anti-Fascist War and reminded the contemporary world of a global civilizational perspective: Only by acknowledging the shared sacrifices and contributions of all nations in the anti-fascist war can we truly learn from history and build broader consensus.

From humanity’s earliest oral traditions to modern inquiries into rights, peace, and ethics, and from the historical trauma of common memories to visions for future global governance, these timeless issues share a common goal—to integrate ancient civilizational wisdom into contemporary discussions and transform historical legacies into intellectual resources for today’s exchanges, dialogue, and cooperation. Throughout this process, the CSCSA has collaborated closely with institutions such as the Institute of Ethnic Literature, the Institute of Law, the Institute of International Law, and the Institute of World History under CASS to jointly stage a series of academic events with the goal of forming interdisciplinary, cross-sector research synergy.

Over the past year, the CSCSA, with its vision of “grounding efforts in Athens while engaging with the world,” has left its mark on the journey of dialogue between the past and the present and mutual learning among civilizations. It has explored not only the origins of human civilization but also the future direction of civilizational development. Standing at a new historical starting point, the CSCSA will continue to build bridges through inter-civilizational mutual learning and strengthen bonds through academic research, composing a more magnificent “Chinese chapter” on the map of world classics and contributing fresh wisdom and strength to the prosperity and progress of humanity.