Chen Zhigang, Vice President of the Academy of Marxism of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Leads a Delegation to Greece, Cyprus, and Turkey for Academic Exchanges
From July 8 to 17, 2024, a delegation led by Professor Chen Zhigang, Vice President of the Institute of Marxism Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), visited Greece, Cyprus, and Turkey for academic exchanges. The delegation members included Professor Dai Lixing, Deputy Director of the Department for Research on Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era at the Institute of Marxism Studies; Associate Professor Zhang Fujun, Director of the Political Economy Research Office within the Department of Marxist Principles; Dr. Zhang Xiaomin from the editorial department of Marxist Studies; and Dr. Wang Zhen from the editorial departments of International Critical Thought and World Review of Political Economy.
From July 8 to 10, the group conducted academic exchanges in Athens, Greece. They held a symposium with Professor Davour Malodas, Head of the Department of Social Policy at Panteion University. The investigation covered the state of Greek capitalism during the crisis, the current status of the Greek working class, the dissemination and research status of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era in Greece, and the cooperation between the Belt and Road Initiative [1] and Greece.
Vice President Chen Zhigang presented Professor Davour Malodas with English editions of Xi Jinping on the Belt and Road Initiative and the fourth volume of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China, as well as the book Explaining the New Thought Through Data and the English-language journal International Critical Thought.
From July 10 to 12, the group engaged in academic exchanges in Cyprus. They held symposiums with Menelaos Menelaou, Chairman of the Board of the Prometheus Research Institute; Professor Kostas Gouliamos, Vice Chairman of the Board of the Prometheus Research Institute; Vera Polycarpou, member of the Central Committee of the Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL) and Head of International Relations and European Policy for AKEL; Chryssostomos Pashiardis, Director of the Archives of the Prometheus Research Institute and Head of the Ideological Department of AKEL; Pavlos Kalosinatos, Director of the Cyprus Labour Institute and member of AKEL; and Dr. Konstantinos Stylianou, member of the Prometheus Scientific Committee and member of AKEL. The investigation focused on the development trends of left-wing political parties in Cyprus, the policy positions of AKEL regarding trade unions, the impact of the Belt and Road Initiative on Cyprus, and the dissemination of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era in Cyprus.
Vice President Chen Zhigang presented Menelaos Menelaou with the English editions of the Selected Readings from the Works of Xi Jinping (Volumes I and II).
The Prometheus Research Institute is a well-known Cypriot think tank. Its Vice Chairman, Professor Kostas Gouliamos, is the former Rector of European University Cyprus, a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA). He currently serves as the Director of the China Research Center at the Prometheus Research Institute. This center was co-founded by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and European University Cyprus, marking the 14th overseas research center established by CASS in collaboration with world-renowned universities. Professor Kostas Gouliamos actively advocates for the three Global Initiatives proposed by China—namely, the Global Civilization Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, and the Global Security Initiative [2]—making active contributions to telling China’s story well and establishing a positive overseas image of China.
Vice President Chen Zhigang presented Professor Kostas Gouliamos with books and periodicals including Explaining the New Thought Through Data and World Socialist Studies.
The Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL) was founded in August 1926 and is the second-largest party in Cyprus; it was once the only governing Communist party among European Union member states. Chryssostomos Pashiardis, Head of AKEL’s Ideological Department, has served as the head of the organizing committee for the Nicosia Book Fest (the largest book fair in Cyprus) since 2016 and was invited to attend the World Socialist Forum in November 2023.
From July 12 to 17, the group conducted academic exchanges in Ankara and Istanbul, Turkey. They held symposiums with Turkish scholars of China studies and left-wing organizations on how to tell China’s story well, enhance China’s overseas image, and the current status and future development of left-wing organizations in Turkey.
The group held discussions with Cem Kizilcik, President of the Turkish Association for Socialist Studies, along with researchers Deniz Kizilcik, Gülizar Özkaya, and Hayreddin Belli from the same association. The exchange involved investigations into the opposition to hegemonism and the rise of world socialist trends of thought, the development of left-wing political parties in Turkey, and the cooperation between the Belt and Road Initiative and Turkey.
Vice President Chen Zhigang presented President Cem Kizilcik with the English editions of the Selected Readings from the Works of Xi Jinping (Volumes I and II).
The group held exchanges with Professor Giray Fidan of the Department of Eastern Languages in the Faculty of Letters at Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University, and Emin, a master's student at Middle East Technical University (formerly affiliated with Ankara University), on themes such as "Exchange and Mutual Learning between Chinese and Turkish Civilizations" [3] and "Sino-Turkish Cultural Cooperation." Professor Giray Fidan is a renowned Turkish translator and Sinologist who has translated classic books such as Up and Out of Poverty [4], the Analects, the Zhuangzi, Notes on Cat City, and The Funeral of a Muslim. His translation and publication of The Art of War was the first version translated directly from Classical Chinese into Turkish, and he was a recipient of the Young Achievement Award of the 10th Special Book Award of China. Professor Giray Fidan has long been engaged in research on Sino-Turkish relations and is committed to introducing Chinese culture to the Turkish people, making outstanding contributions to the promotion of Chinese culture in Turkey and the cultural exchange between China and Western countries. Emin primarily engages in geopolitical research with a focus on the impact of China’s Belt and Road Initiative on Turkey.
The group held academic exchanges with Professor Eyüp Sarıtaş, Head of the Department of Chinese Language and Literature in the Faculty of Letters at Istanbul University, on themes such as "The Exchange and Mutual Learning of Chinese and Western Civilizations" and "The Overseas Dissemination of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era." Professor Eyüp Sarıtaş is a famous Turkish Sinologist who participated in the 13th International Symposium on Chinese Language Teaching and the First World Symposium on Chinese Studies at Peking University. He has published works such as Sinological Research in Turkey since 1935, Linguistic, Cultural, and Ethnic Diversity in a Global Perspective, and Chinese Research on the Xiongnu (1919-1965).
Vice President Chen Zhigang led the delegation in in-depth symposiums with research institutions, left-wing scholars, and left-wing political parties in Greece, Cyprus, and Turkey that are knowledgeable about and friendly toward China. They actively promoted Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and reached multiple consensuses on conducting academic exchanges and cooperation, successfully completing the mission of the visit.
(Text and photos provided by Zhang Fujun)