Handover Ceremony for the New Premises of the Chinese Academy of Classical Civilizations Held in Greece
The Chinese Social Sciences Today Athen reporting (Reporter: Yang Xue) — At Athens time on June 26, the Chinese Institute of Classical Civilizations held a handover ceremony for its new office premises in Athens, Greece. Prokopis Pavlopoulos, former President of Greece; Lai Bo, Minister-Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Greece; and Ioannis Konstantatos, Mayor of Elliniko, attended the ceremony and delivered speeches. In the presence of Chinese and foreign guests, Pavlopoulos and Padma Choling, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress and President of the China Society for Human Rights Studies (CSHRS), unveiled the plaque for the new office premises.
In his speech, Pavlopoulos stated that the handover ceremony for the new premises of the Chinese Institute of Classical Civilizations marks a historic moment and an important milestone in the development of relations between the two countries. He noted that as ancient civilizations, both China and Greece have remained committed to maintaining peace and stability despite experiencing numerous challenges. Pavlopoulos emphasized that while economic cooperation between China and Greece has developed rapidly and expanded in scale in recent years, cultural cooperation and exchange—particularly in the fields of philosophy and the mutual learning [1] between civilizations—remain vital. The establishment of the Chinese Institute of Classical Civilizations has become a bond for the spiritual civilizations [2] of China and Greece and an important platform for mutual learning between civilizations. In today's volatile and changing international environment characterized by a lack of dialogue, the institute shoulders the glorious mission of promoting exchange and mutual learning between Eastern and Western civilizations.
Lai Bo extended warm congratulations on the Chinese Institute of Classical Civilizations move to its new site, calling it another solid step taken by the institute in deepening exchange and mutual learning between Chinese and Greek civilizations. He stated that the institute should uphold its original aspiration [3] for civilizational exchange and mutual learning, expand activities such as classical civilization research, archaeological excavation and interpretation, seminars and exchanges, and education and training. It should strive to build itself into an international academic center for classical civilization studies and create a "gold-standard brand" for global classical studies. Together, they should search for the contemporary value of classical civilizations, promote the inheritance, development, and innovation of modern civilization, and encourage the two great civilizations of the East and West to appreciate their own beauty while sharing in the beauty of others [4].
Konstantatos expressed a warm welcome to the Chinese Institute of Classical Civilizations for settling in its new location. He stated that during his visit to China, he deeply felt the rapid development of Chinese science and technology, noting that much of this experience is worth learning from for Greece. He expressed hope that the institute would play an active role in the future in driving cultural exchange between the city of Elliniko and China and promoting local economic development. At the same time, he called on Greek society to attach greater importance to Chinese language learning to further enhance mutual understanding and friendly interaction between both sides.
Following the ceremony, the international seminar "Human Rights Wisdom in Classical Civilizations," the achievement release conference of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) Key Laboratory of Archaeological Science and Cultural Heritage Conservation, and the seminar and special exhibition "Opening the Door to Mutual Learning Between Eastern and Western Civilizations" were held concurrently.
The "Human Rights Wisdom in Classical Civilizations" seminar focused on the concept of "human rights" within classical civilizations. It aimed to deeply explore the human rights wisdom contained in classical civilizations from the perspective of mutual learning between civilizations, providing inspiration and reference for the protection of human rights in the world today. Participating guests from China and abroad reached a consensus that human rights are an important component of global civilization and a goal pursued by all humanity. Defending and guaranteeing human rights requires the joint participation of different civilizations and countries to promote global human rights governance toward a more fair, just, reasonable, and inclusive direction.
Four major achievements in Chinese archaeological science and cultural heritage conservation were released at the event, reflecting the continuous breakthroughs of the Chinese archaeological community in interdisciplinary integration and technological innovation. These achievements not only demonstrate the deep mutual learning between Chinese civilization and world civilizations but also showcase to Greece and the world the unique perspective of Chinese archaeology in research interpretation and historical decoding. Specific results included: the first complete restoration of a complex Tubo-period [5] crown from the Quanguo No. 1 Tomb in Qinghai; Tang Dynasty ceramic dragon-head architectural components unearthed from the Guzhou City ruins in Xiong'an; research findings on bronze alloy technology based on the Erlitou site [6]; and botanical archaeology confirming the continuous utilization of indigenous Chinese Vitis (grape) plant resources over thousands of years.
The "Opening the Door to Mutual Learning Between Eastern and Western Civilizations" seminar centrally showcased China's latest progress in tracing the origins of civilizations and in the field of classical studies. Scholars from China and Greece conducted in-depth discussions on the exchange and comparison of Chinese and Western civilizations. Five Chinese scholars approached the topic from various angles, including the Chinese philosophical tradition that carries the creative spirit of the "interstice between being and non-being" [7], the formation of the Chinese writing tradition, civilizational interaction as reflected in written and linguistic exchange, and China's in-depth study of Sanskrit and Indian civilization. These presentations demonstrated Chinese scholars' perspective on "world classical studies," reconstructing classical concepts within a pluralistic dialogue and expanding the international horizon of classical studies. The themed exhibition of the same name used a long chronological scroll, 3D-printed cultural relics, and graphic display boards to present the deep interaction and value resonance between Chinese and ancient Greek civilizations throughout history, highlighting the contemporary significance that "civilizations are enriched by mutual learning."
This event was jointly organized by the China Society for Human Rights Studies, the Chinese Embassy in Greece, the Chinese Institute of Classical Civilizations, and the Greece-China Association. More than 80 people, including government officials, experts, scholars, and media representatives from China and Greece, participated in the various academic and cultural exchange activities.