On the morning of July 10, Gu Binglin, Academician, Chairman of IIAS Council and former President of Tsinghua University, gave an opening speech. On July 10-12, 2019, the first Tsinghua Area Studies Forum hosted by the the Institute of International and Area Studies (IIAS) of Tsinghua University was successfully held at Tsinghua Park. With the theme of “Creating a new path to meet the challenges of Asia, Africa and Latin America”, the Forum brought together more than 100 area studies experts from around the world, focusing on the Middle East, Central Asia, Africa, Latin America, South Asia, Southeast Asia and other regions. Starting from different topics such as history, culture, economy, medical care, education, environment, politics and international relations, they conducted in-depth exchanges across regions and subjects.
The Forum opened its curtain on the morning of July 10 at the Reception Hall of the Central Main Building of Tsinghua University. Gu Binglin, Academician, Chairman of IIAS Council and former President of Tsinghua University, gave an opening address. In his speech, he expounded the historical context of China’s area studies and expected that this Forum would serve as a platform to connect research scholars in developed and developing countries. Prof. Tim Niblock, Member of IIAS Academic Committee and Honorary Professor of the University of Exeter, and Prof. Bai Chongen, Member of IIAS Academic Committee and Dean of the School of Economics and Management of Tsinghua University, delivered keynote speeches from the perspective of research development in UK and in China.
The sub-forum discussion included four regional themes of Middle East and Central Asia, Africa, Latin America, and South Asia and Southeast Asia. For each theme, several seminars were organized around different topics. Guests and doctoral students of IIAS presented their papers at the event. The Middle East and Central Asia Sub-forum mainly involved historical, cultural, social, political and other topics. Scholars from China, UK and Arab countries participated in the discussion. The Africa Sub-forum covered topics of economics, healthcare, education and environment. Scholars from Africa, Europe, and China discussed the challenges faced by economic construction and public health in Africa. The South Asia and Southeast Asia Sub-forum focused on politics, history, society, ethnicity, culture and economic development issues. The Pakistan issue and ethnic politics became the focus of discussion. The Latin American Sub-forum covered social, economic, Latin America-China relations and political issues. Populism and economic development aroused the common concern of scholars from China and Latin America.
On the morning of July 12, the closing ceremony of the Forum started with a panel discussion. The closing ceremony of the Forum on the morning of July 12 started with a panel discussion among five professors including Tim Niblock from the University of Exeter, Yasuyuki Kono from Kyoto University, Graham Furniss from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, Gao Bai from Duke University, and Michael Herzfeld from Harvard University. Prof. Xue Lan, Director of IIAS Academic Committee and Dean of Schwarzman College of Tsinghua University, and Prof. Yang Guang, Member of IIAS Academic Committee, President of the Middle East Society of China and Professor of History at the School of Letters of Shanghai University, delivered keynote speeches. Prof.Shi Zongkai, Deputy Director of Tsinghua University Council, made a closing speech, who combined the community of human destiny with area studies and made a new perspect on the interdisciplinary and student training of area studies at Tsinghua University.
Adhering to the characteristics of diversification and openness, the first Tsinghua Area Studies Forum brought together experts and high-quality academic papers from all over the world, shared research findings on the history and prospects of stable area studies as well as important issues in various regions, and deeply exchanged views. It won unanimous recognition of the participating scholars and established its image as an important international intellectual platform.
