The Second World Conference on Sinology opened in RUC on Oct. 30th, 2009. State Councilor Liu Yandong sent her congratulatory letter to the conference. Over 180 domestic and overseas scholars gathered in RUC and discussed on the theme of “Sinology and Cross-Cultural Communication”.

Mr. Hao Ping, Deputy Minister of Education, Prof. Ji Baocheng, RUC President, and Ms. Xu Lin, Director of Hanban, attended the opening ceremony and addressed respectively. Prof. Cheng Chung-Ying from University of Hawaii, Prof. Jozef Gálik from Slovak Academy of Science, Emeritus Prof. Küng Hans from University of Tübingen, Prof. Torbjorn Loden from University of Stockholm, Emeritus Prof. Michael Loewe from University of Cambridge, Emeritus Prof. Bonnie McDougall from University of Edinburgh, Prof. Paolo Santangelo from University of Rome, Prof. Yue Daiyun and Prof. Tang Yijie form Peking University, Prof. Li Xueqin from Tsinghua University, Prof. Zhang Liwen from Renmin University, Mr. Zheng Xinmiao, Director of Beijing Palace Museum, Mr. Guo Hancheng, Consultant of China Dramatists Association, Mr. Zhan Furui, Director of National Library of China, Prof. Dai Yi from Renmin University, Prof. Feng Huiling, RUC Vice-President, Prof. Chen Hong, Senior Vive-President of Nankai University, and Prof. Liu Luqi, President of Xinjiang Normal University, attended the opening ceremony.

Prof. Yang Huilin, RUC Vice-President, presided over the opening ceremony.

Mr. Hao Ping, Deputy Minister of Education, extended his warm welcome to the sinologists from all over the world on the behalf of the Chinese Ministry of Education. He also read the congratulatory letter from State Councilor LiuYandong in which she said that sinology was a featured academic field which had a long history and abundant vitality. It was becoming an important path for deepening the communication and understanding between east and west. She extended her best wishes to a bright future of the World Conference on Sinology and that it would contribute greatly for the spreading of Chinese culture and the development of human civilization.

Ms. Xu Lin, Director of Hanban, extended congratulations on behalf of Hanban and Confucius Institute Headquarter. She expressed her sincere wishes for the success of the conference and called for the experts’ and scholars’ efforts to collect their opinions and devote their wisdom to build Confucius Institutes into a base for the inheritance and development of academic ideology. She also appreciated RUC for its great efforts and contribution to this conference.

RUC President Prof. Ji Baocheng illustrated in his address how the word “culture” might be defined from various aspects, different interpretation of culture from ancient times till today by eastern and western scholars, and that the developing process of Sinology research was like different ways leading to the same destination. He emphasized the significance of cross-cultural communication and wished that the World Conference on Sinology would offer a lofty platform for the cross-cultural communication between Chinese and overseas scholars.

At the opening ceremony, Mr. Hao Ping, Deputy Minister of Education, Prof. Ji Baocheng, RUC President, Ms. Xu Lin, Director of Hanban and Emeritus Prof. Michael Loewe from University of Cambridge, together inaugurated the “International Research Base for Young Sinologists”.

The World Conference on Sinology is organized jointly by Hanban and Renmin University. The First World Conference on Sinology was held in Mar. 2007 in RUC. The Second World Conference on Sinology was operated by the Institute for the Promotion of Chinese Language and Culture, RUC School of Liberal Arts and RUC School of Chinese Studies. The Conference invited both foreign scholars with outstanding achievements in sinology and Chinese scholars with profound understanding of Chinese culture. The three-day conference covered certain themes such as “Sinology and Cultural Dialogue”, ”Sinology and Historical Studies”, “Sinology and Chinese Literature”, “Sinology and Translation of Chinese Classics”, “Sinology and Traditional Chinese Opera” and “Special Forum for Confucius Institutes”.  Round-Table Conferences under the topic of “Excavated Documents and Sinology” and “Interaction between Chinese Literature and Sinology Today” were also organized.