Professor Liming Wang Attends the 11th Nishan Forum on World Civilizations

The 11th Nishan Forum on World Civilizations was held from July 9 to 10, 2025, in Nishan, Qufu, Shandong Province. Over 560 guests and scholars from more than 70 countries gathered at Nishan to engage in in-depth discussions around the theme: “Harmony in Diversity, Beauty in Shared Prosperity — Inter-Civilizational Relations and Global Modernization.” The forum served as a platform for dialogue across diverse cultures, fostering broad consensus on global development through mutual learning among civilizations.

Professor Wang was invited to attend the forum and participated in a high-level dialogue session themed “Inclusiveness and Mutual Assistance Among Civilizations.” In his remarks, he noted that differences in language and culture pose major barriers to achieving inclusiveness and cooperation among civilizations. Linguist Peter Daniels once emphasized the vital role of writing in civilization, stating: “Language defines humanity; writing defines civilization.”

The mission of Confucius Institutes worldwide is precisely to promote mutual understanding among civilizations through the teaching and dissemination of the Chinese language and culture. Professor Wang further explained that if we view the diverse civilizations of humankind as rivers flowing continuously, then the respective languages and cultures serve as their riverbeds—providing the foundation for civilizational exchange and mutual learning. The bilingual teaching and training that integrates Chinese pictographic characters with alphabetic scripts can be seen as a “blessing” for building a community with a shared future for mankind.