The encounters, interactions, and dialogues between cultures, civilizations, and literatures continually expand the horizons of human thought and imagination. Each encounter can become an opportunity for mutual illumination and inspiration, propelling us forward together and offering insights for envisioning alternative worlds and ways of life. In today's world—where diversity appears on the surface yet tends toward uniformity, where richness seems evident yet struggles to mask monotony, and where conflicts and tensions between cultures and civilizations grow increasingly prominent yet remain difficult to reconcile—it is imperative that we engage in profound reflection on existing achievements in the methodology of cultural encounters and comparative studies. Together, we must explore potential avenues for breakthrough. We envision such breakthroughs extending beyond the methodological level to expand our existing worldview and reshape the relationship between cultures and civilizations.
To this end, we plan to host an academic workshop on “Methodologies for Cultural Encounters and Comparative Studies” in the first half of 2026 (exact dates to be determined) and sincerely invite your participation.
Workshop Co-Chairs:
Professor Nicolas Standaert (Department of Philosophy, Peking University) (Research on 17th-century Central European Cultural Exchange)
Email: nicolas.standaert@kuleuven.be
Thematic Conveners:
Xiao Qinghe (Department of Philosophy, Peking University) — Methodology of Cultural Encounters Research (Ming-Qing Christian Studies)
Email: xiaoqh@pku.edu.cn
Yang Junjie (School of Chinese Language and Literature, Beijing Normal University) — Comparative Research Methodology (Comparative Literature Studies)
Email: yangjunjie@bnu.edu.cn
Scholars interested in these topics are invited to submit proposed paper titles and brief outlines to the corresponding convener's email address.
Selected participants will receive formal invitations based on the content of their proposals. Workshop papers will be translated into English (translators must be arranged independently) and published in the English-language academic journal JSRH (website: CCSpub.cc/JSRH).
Requirements: Papers must focus on methodology and be grounded in specific case studies.
Abstract Submission Deadline: April 1, 2026
Workshop Location: Department of Philosophy, Peking University
Workshop Date: To be announced.
Inquiry Website: ChineseCS.cn