{"id":305916,"date":"2025-10-27T12:00:39","date_gmt":"2025-10-27T12:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=305916"},"modified":"2025-10-24T07:23:21","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T06:23:21","slug":"two-conferences-in-shanghai-reflections-on-discourse-dialogue-and-the-non-studies-of-peace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2025\/10\/two-conferences-in-shanghai-reflections-on-discourse-dialogue-and-the-non-studies-of-peace\/","title":{"rendered":"Two Conferences in Shanghai: Reflections on Discourse, Dialogue, and the Non-Studies of Peace"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

24 Oct 2025\u00a0<\/em>–\u00a0In October 2025, I attended two major academic conferences in Shanghai\u2014both by invitation, and, curiously, as the only scholar from Scandinavia. That absence felt unjust to the more experienced Nordic experts in China studies who deserve a seat at such global forums.<\/p>\n

What unfolded was a journey through two distinct but interwoven events\u2014each offering a lens into China\u2019s intellectual landscape and its evolving role in the world.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 2nd World Conference on China Studies<\/h3>\n

The first event, the 2nd World Conference on China Studies<\/strong>, brought together over 500 scholars from 50 countries under the theme \u201cHistorical and Contemporary China: A Global Perspective.\u201d<\/em> I participated in the sub-forum titled \u201cChina in Global Context: Continuity and Innovation of Civilisation.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

It was a masterfully orchestrated gathering. The Chinese hosts demonstrated remarkable professionalism\u2014from travel logistics and hotel arrangements to meals, sub-forum coordination, and sightseeing. The venue, Shanghai International Convention Centre<\/strong> in Pudong, stood beside the monumental new Museum of Contemporary Art<\/strong> and the iconic tower that defines the skyline when viewed from Nanjing Road across the river.<\/p>\n

This high-level event was jointly hosted by the State Council Information Office of China<\/strong> and the Shanghai Municipal People\u2019s Government<\/strong>, and organised by the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences<\/strong>. Support came from a constellation of institutions: the Ministry of Culture and Tourism<\/strong>, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences<\/strong>, Renmin University<\/strong>, Fudan University<\/strong>, Beijing Foreign Studies University<\/strong>, and Beijing Language and Culture University<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The Opening Ceremony<\/strong> was chaired by Mo Gaoyi<\/strong>, deputy head of the CPC Central Committee\u2019s Publicity Department and Minister of the State Council Information Office. A keynote was delivered by Romano Prodi<\/strong>, former Italian Prime Minister and President of the EU Commission\u2014still deeply respected in China and a vocal advocate for global cooperation. (One wonders how he views today\u2019s EU leadership.)<\/p>\n

Other distinguished speakers included Gao Xiang<\/strong>, President of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and long-time China scholars like Sally K. Church<\/strong> of the Needham Research Institute and Martin Jacques<\/strong>, known for his decades of engagement with China and his widely viewed TED and other video talks.<\/p>\n

My Sub-Forum and Lecture<\/h3>\n

I gave a lecture in the sub-forum led by Professor Zhang Weiwei<\/strong>, head of the China Institute at Fudan University<\/strong>, who also hosted the second conference marking the institute\u2019s 10th anniversary. A few of us participated in both events, creating a sense of continuity and deepening dialogue.<\/p>\n

Such huge top-level or \u201chigh-end\u201d conferences also attract the media, <\/strong>all the local Shanghai media and all the national media, no exception. They want to hear what you think about China and its development, <\/strong>a bit as if they feel they need some Westerners to confirm their own historically unique and very positive human-centered achievements over the last 40 or so years. They certainly don\u2019t – but the admiration of the West and the elements of \u201cimports\u201d from the West still have a role to play.<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t remember anybody in Western media showing any interest in asking Chinese social science experts what they thought about the development of the West.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Most of these media people are young, say 25-35. They rush up to you and sometimes even before presenting themselves or what they want to ask you about, put up their microphone and begin asking questions. At a robotics research centre, where we walked among humanoid robots,<\/strong> several of them wanted to know my views on these new creatures. I took the opportunity to say that an expert is only an expert in specific fields.<\/p>\n

I then made the general point that all societies need to thoroughly discuss the good and bad sides of all new technologies and make democratic decisions about their implementation, or risk that technology runs away with society and human joys<\/strong> and creates more new problems than contributing to solving older ones.<\/p>\n

That was actually spontaneously appreciated by several of the 10-15 interviewers I was approached by on that single day.<\/p>\n

The third type of question was what such an international conference could contribute to<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

My general response was that while such conferences often do not permit deep dialogues because most forums are time-tight and scheduled to have only presentations of a few minutes and little or no answers from the audience, that part may have limited effect in and of itself – but that, of course, human beings meet also outside over meals and coffees, make new contacts, exchange informal views, point each other to interesting analyses and views, etc – they can be very useful.<\/p>\n

In addition, science, like art, I emphasised, can be a great bridge-builder <\/strong>among civilisations: \u201cThis is how you think about it and this is how we, or I, think about – now let\u2019s see what is compatible and what needs to be worked on!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Actually, this type of social cosmology, or deeper ways of thinking, <\/strong>was the theme of my own 8-minute mini-lecture. And it was quite well received in spite of the more geopolitical focus that many other participants adhered to.<\/p>\n

In my sub-forum, I was particularly happy with what I heard Vuk Jeremic<\/strong> from Serbia, Carlos Martinez, Martin Jaques<\/strong> and Richard Sakwa<\/strong> from the UK, Valentin Golovachev<\/strong> from Russia, Fan Yongpeng, Huang Renwei<\/strong> and Zhang Weiwei <\/strong>from China had to say – whereas Gideon Rachman,<\/strong> chief foreign affairs commentator of the Financial Times,<\/em> was a fine representative of the outdated pro-armament mainstream geo-political paradigm in which Russia appears as a never-ending threat to Europe that NATO must re-arm to defend itself.<\/p>\n

The Thinkers Forum 2025: Discourse and Destiny<\/h3>\n

The second conference, the Thinkers Forum 2025 on Chinese Discourse and the Reshaping of World Order<\/strong>, unfolded on the breathtaking campus of Fudan University<\/strong>\u2014one of China\u2019s most prestigious institutions, ranked among the top in Asia and globally.<\/p>\n

At the heart of this gathering was Professor Zhang Weiwei<\/strong>, who has led Fudan\u2019s China Institute<\/strong> with remarkable vision over its first decade. More than a scholar, Zhang is a connector\u2014surrounded by young thinkers, deeply engaged with media, and constantly on the move to build bridges across continents. He often travels with a film crew from the media platform China Academy<\/strong>, capturing dialogues that transcend borders.<\/p>\n

I first met him in 2024 in Skopje<\/strong>, at a forward-looking conference on globalisation and world order hosted by Professor Biljana Vankovska, TFF board member. <\/strong>It was there that he invited me to record a video conversation\u2014one that marked the beginning of a stimulating intellectual exchange.<\/p>\n

Zhang has pioneered what he calls \u201cfuturist historiography\u201d<\/strong>\u2014a method of projecting the likely evolution of unfolding events. In a recent retrospective titled \u201cOur Strategic Predictions Are Quite Accurate,\u201d<\/em> he did something rare in academic circles: he revisited past forecasts the Institute had made and showed how many had come to pass.<\/p>\n

I found this both refreshing and necessary. After all, if your predictions prove accurate, why not say so? As with medicine, sound diagnosis and prognosis lead to better treatment. The same holds true for political analysis.<\/p>\n

Rethinking Security: A Call for Peace Literacy<\/h3>\n

In my own remarks, I reflected on a troubling global pattern: despite vast cultural differences, most nations still approach security through the same narrow lens\u2014weaponised \u2018security\u2019 before peace<\/strong>, deterrence before dialogue. The prevailing doctrine of offensive defence<\/strong> remains dominant, despite its outdated assumptions and conspicuous destabilising consequences.<\/p>\n

This mindset accepts violence\u2014even mass killing\u2014as a necessary fallback if deterrence fails. It sidelines Article 1 of the UN Charter<\/strong>, which mandates that peace be pursued by peaceful means. It neglects alternative strategies like civil defence, vulnerability reduction, and resilience-building. And it reveals a profound absence of education in conflict resolution, mediation, reconciliation, and forgiveness\u2014displaying what I call \u201cconflict and peace illiteracy.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t need to spell out that nuclear weapons<\/strong> and the ideology I call nuclearism<\/strong> have no place in a truly peaceful world. My references to Gandhi<\/strong>, Martin Luther King Jr.<\/strong>, and China\u2019s own Sun Tzu<\/strong>\u2014whose wisdom dates back over 2,300 years\u2014were intended to make that clear.<\/p>\n

In my brief eight-minute slot, I devoted one minute to alternative security paradigms, and another to urging Chinese academia to embrace peace and conflict studies<\/strong>, as well as future studies<\/strong>, as formal disciplines. While individual scholars here and there may show a personal interest in peace thinking \u2014and students do\u2014I sensed little reaction and no institutional momentum.<\/p>\n

With the exception of Nanjing University<\/strong> – and Nanjing is China\u2019s city of peace – I\u2019m unaware of any comprehensive, permanent programs in these fields across China. I am grateful to be corrected if I am wrong.<\/p>\n

This silence only deepens my resolve to pursue this further.<\/p>\n

A Conversation with China Academy<\/h3>\n

Between the two conferences, I recorded a 90-minute conversation with Mimi<\/strong>, the brilliant studio host at China Academy<\/strong> (WeChat ID: mimizhuxiyuan<\/em>). The footage will be edited into thematic segments and shared across platforms like Bilibili<\/strong>, YouTube<\/strong>, TikTok<\/strong>, and the China Academy homepage<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Working with these young, media-savvy professionals is always a joy. Their curiosity, technical skill, and editorial intuition are a testament to the creative energy pulsing through China\u2019s intellectual and cultural landscape.<\/p>\n

__________________________________________<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> Prof. Jan Oberg, Ph.D. is director of the independent <\/em>Transnational Foundation for Peace & Future Research-TF<\/a>F<\/a> in Sweden and a member of the <\/em>TRANSCEND Network for Peace Development Environment<\/a>. CV: <\/em>https:\/\/transnational.live\/jan-oberg<\/em><\/a>
\n<\/em>https:\/\/transnational.live<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Go to Original – thetransnational.substack.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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It is based on my chapter of the TFF anthology, \u201cIf You Want To Understand China.\u201d<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n