Global Greek, Plato study communities launched in China's Chongqing

CHONGQING, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Two new global academic alliances dedicated to studying contemporary Greece and Platonic philosophies were launched Wednesday in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, marking another milestone in cultural exchanges between the Chinese and Greek civilizations.

The "Global Contemporary Greek Studies Community" and "Global Platonic Studies Community" were unveiled at the opening of the Second Global Forum on Mutual Learning among Civilizations at Southwest University. The ceremony also saw the establishment of an area studies institute and a classical studies institute under the Center of Chinese and Greek Ancient Civilizations (KELKIP).

These platforms aim to pool global scholarship for dialogues bridging ancient wisdom and modern challenges, with particular focus on perspectives from Global South countries. Scholars are encouraged to collaboratively reinterpret classical thoughts to address contemporary global issues.

"Another similarity that runs through all Greek thought and is present in the thinking of Confucius is dialogue, as a means of teaching and presenting opinions, often opposing, in order to find common ground," stated Evgenios Kalpyris, Ambassador of Greece to China, in his address. He emphasized that millennia-old insights provide guidance against modern crises.

Cui Yanqiang, KELKIP's Chinese director, noted the new institutes solidify the center's dual focus -- illuminating modernity through classical perspectives while reconstructing antiquity through contemporary frameworks.

Chloe Balla, chairperson of Greek KELKIP Steering Committee, highlighted the distinctive social integration of Chinese philosophy: "I'm also fascinated by the way that the ancient Chinese philosophy has managed not to be confined in the academic world, but it's part of Chinese society. So, for Chinese people, Confucius is something that they can refer to."

Centered on "Ancient Wisdom for the Global South," the forum features parallel discussions on Plato studies, modern Greek research, and China-Europe relations from civilizational perspectives, attracting over 60 scholars from more than 20 countries. ■