Beijing Normal University (BNU) has long attached great importance to the research, interpretation, and international dissemination of China’s excellent traditional culture, continuously supporting the cultivation of overseas sinologists and promoting the exchange and mutual learning between Chinese and foreign civilizations. For many consecutive years, BNU has held summer schools and summer Chinese language training courses. BNU strengthens top-level design, leveraging its disciplinary advantages to actively build interdisciplinary and cross-cultural academic exchange mechanisms, and has specifically established the Institute of Chinese Culture | JingShi Academy as a high-level teaching and research institution for interdisciplinary talent cultivation.

1.BNU Hosts International Sinology Research Camp on "Chinese Modernization: Inheritance and Innovation of Civilization"

To deepen young sinologists’ authentic and multidimensional understanding of China and promote the exchange and mutual learning among world civilizations, from November 13 to 16, BNU, entrusted by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation of the Ministry of Education (China), organized a youth sinology research camp titled “Chinese Modernization: Inheritance and Innovation of Civilization.” The camp was hosted by the Institute of Chinese Culture | JingShi Academy, with nearly 20 participants from countries including the United States, Italy, Spain, North Macedonia, Sri Lanka, Iran, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Peru, Mexico, Sudan, and Cameroon.

At the opening ceremony on November 13, Kang Zhen, Vice President of BNU, stated that young sinologists possess professional academic training, fluent Chinese expression, profound academic thinking, and cross-cultural sensitivity, serving as friendly ambassadors to connect China with the world and promote the exchange and mutual learning of human civilizations. He expressed his hope that everyone would ignite their enthusiasm for studying and understanding China and achieve even more fruitful results in the vast field of sinological research in the future.

Professor Liu Li, from the School of Chinese Language and Literature at BNU, delivered a special lecture titled “The Growth Path of Young Sinologists,” encouraging young sinologists to be rooted in classics, embrace innovation, and bridge the past and present, as well as China and the world.

Young sinologists have expressed their commitment to continue to walk hand in hand with sinology and China, strengthen research and interpretation, introduce the real, three-dimensional, and comprehensive China to the world, and serve as ambassadors bridging Chinese and foreign civilizations.

Feng Haicheng, an alumnus from School of Chinese Language and Literature and North Macedonia sinologist stated that, as a bridge for mutual understanding between Chinese civilization and other global cultures, sinology has created a platform for dialogue among scholars worldwide, and the rising generation of sinologists from Global South countries has broken the long-standing intellectual monopoly of Western nations, demonstrating the true spirit of multilateralism in academia.

Fan Yuxue, a scholar of Chinese studies from Vietnam and an alumnus of BNU’s School of International Chinese Language Education, shared her feelings: “Driven by my passion for the Chinese language and its rich cultural heritage, I have remained committed to my Chinese studies. I firmly believe in the unique charm of Chinese, and I will continue to write in this language to foster mutual understanding and tolerance among civilizations.”

Li Ruien, an alumnus of the Faculty of Education of BNU and an American sinologist, said: “My study experience at BNU laid a solid foundation for my career as an international educator. The reply also conveys the message that China will continue to cultivate the growth of sinologists, which I find very inspiring!”

The members of the research camp visited the Palace Museum, the National Museum of China, and the China Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum

The members of the research camp visited the Xicheng campus of BNU

The Workshop on International Sinology was held at the Research Camp, where members listened to lectures and exchanged views with experts

2.International students from Beijing Normal University become ambassadors of cultural exchange between China and the world

From November 14 to 16, the 2025 World Chinese Language Conference took place in Beijing. On the morning of November 15, representatives of international students from BNU attended the parallel forum of the “Cross-Civilization Dialogue and the Cultivation of Young Scholars in China Studies” jointly hosted by BNU. They gathered with over 350 university presidents, education officials, diplomatic envoys to China, sinologists, and international students engaged in China research from more than 90 countries across five continents, engaging in in-depth exchanges on Chinese language education innovation, Chinese cultural studies, and civilizational dialogue and mutual learning.

Feng Haicheng (North Macedonia), Jiang Ailian (Spain), Yu Jiayong (Myanmar), Pu De (Nepal), and many outstanding international Sinologists from BNU delivered speeches at the forum. They expressed their commitment to continuing their studies and deepening their research in Sinology, and to contributing their efforts to fostering dialogue and mutual understanding among world civilizations.

BNU began cultivating students for the New Sinology Program in 2013 and has since trained 56 outstanding young sinologists. As a key university for nurturing high-level sinology talents, BNU has long been committed to supporting young scholars from around the world in deeply exploring the language, culture, and social development of China. The doctoral candidates attending this conference covered research directions in areas such as teaching Chinese as a foreign language, educational strategies and policies, and international education and development studies. During the conference, they shared their latest research findings in sinology through keynote speeches and panel discussions, and engaged in in-depth dialogues with peers from around the globe on issues such as the pathways, methods, and challenges of international Chinese communication. This showcased the university’s cutting-edge explorations and youthful commitment in the fields of international Chinese education and sinology research.

3.The 2025 Annual Conference of the World Association for Teaching

On November 16, the International Society for Chinese Language Teaching hosted its 2025 Academic Annual Conference at the National Convention Center, as a parallel event of the 2025 World Chinese Conference. Under the theme “Innovations in International Chinese Language Teaching Theory and Practice in the Digital Age,” the conference was co-organized by ISCLT and BNU. It attracted over 200 delegates from more than 90 Chinese and international institutions, with 130+ papers submitted.

Chen Xing, Vice President of BNU, stated that, in the face of opportunities and challenges brought by digital and intelligent transformation, BNU will actively leverage its disciplinary strengths and educational advantages. The university will continue to explore in areas such as smart teaching platform development, digital resource creation, and intelligent technology applications in education, contributing to the high-quality development of international Chinese education.

For years, BNU has been a pioneer in international Chinese education. Its outstanding contributions to promoting the HSK exam and developing Chinese teaching resources earned it the 2025 Best Partner Award for the HSK Chinese Proficiency Test and the Chinese Alliance Gold Partner Award. Feng Liping, Dean of the International Chinese Education College, was also honored with the HSK Excellence Contribution Award.

In the future, BNU will further integrate resources, strengthen platform development, launch more high-quality projects, gather international sinologists, enhance the cultivation of sinology talents, actively conduct sinology research, and contribute BNU's strength to promoting the development of sinology and facilitating cultural exchanges and mutual learning between China and other countries.