Yuan Li and Li Yuming: The New Sinology Initiative Advances Global China Studies

On 13 November 2025, President Xi Jinping replied to a group of young sinologists, encouraging them to serve as envoys bridging Chinese and foreign civilisations and stressing that “sinology originates in China but belongs to the world—it is a shared spiritual asset of all humanity.” This statement provides clear direction for enhancing the global reach and influence of Chinese civilisation and deepening people-to-people exchanges between China and other countries in the new era. Today, global China studies is evolving into a collaborative field of knowledge production involving scholars worldwide, entering a new phase of paradigmatic reconfiguration. As a flagship programme launched by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC) under the Ministry of Education, the New Sinology Initiative organically integrates traditional sinology, contemporary China studies, and international Chinese language education. Through its innovative talent development mechanisms and cross-cultural dialogue platforms, it supports young scholars from around the world to pursue advanced study and systematic research in China. The Initiative not only broadens epistemological perspectives on understanding China but also advances methodology—moving beyond static “area-based knowledge” toward dynamic, intersubjective civilisational dialogue oriented toward a shared human future.

　　The emergence of the “New Sinology” concept reflects a profound paradigm shift in global China studies. Traditional sinology often treated China as a distant “other”; post–World War II “China studies”, though bringing the subject closer, still struggled to fully escape Western-centred narrative frameworks. By contrast, “New Sinology” breaks down the binary opposition between “sinology” and “China studies”, advocating integration across historical periods and disciplines. Its core lies in cultivating an equal dialogue grounded in “intersubjectivity”—not “understanding the world alone”, but “understanding the world together with Chinese scholars”. To translate this vision into practice, the New Sinology Initiative has established three supporting innovation mechanisms.

First, a global “18+X” talent development network

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Led by CLEC and involving eighteen top-tier universities—including Tsinghua University and Peking University—the network has attracted over one thousand young scholars from nearly one hundred countries. Moving beyond short-term visiting fellowships, it enables overseas scholars to immerse themselves in Chinese society through fieldwork and grassroots engagement. Whether studying the Mawangdui silk manuscripts or analysing contemporary youth culture, such “grounded-in-China” research effectively bridges cultural divides and yields academic outputs combining international perspective with Chinese specificity.

Second, full-cycle support spanning doctoral and postdoctoral stages

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Addressing the gap between academic training and cutting-edge research needs in overseas China studies, the Initiative establishes a comprehensive support system—including scholarships and postdoctoral fellowships—to fund the publication of New Sinology doctoral theses and the translation of classical and modern Chinese texts. This helps young scholars navigate the critical transition from “entry-level” to “independent scholar”. Beyond methodological support for interdisciplinary work, sustained resource investment injects fresh vitality into the field.

Third, multi-layered, institutionalised dialogue platforms

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In response to rising global interest in China studies, the Initiative funds established academic events such as the World Sinology Conference while innovating formats like the Young Sinologists’ Roundtable. These platforms maintain scholarly rigour while attracting broader public attention, thereby enriching and expanding the academic ecosystem.

These three mechanisms reinforce one another, collectively transforming the New Sinology Initiative into a self-renewing, sustainable international academic community. Its vitality further stems from close alignment with frontier trends in global academia. The theme of the Second World China Studies Conference held in Shanghai in October 2025—“Historical and Contemporary China in Global Perspective”—resonates strongly with the Initiative’s core tenets, forming a mutually reinforcing relationship in practice. Scholars supported by the Initiative pursue exceptionally diverse research—from cosmological theories in the Mawangdui silk manuscripts to ideological shifts among Beijing’s youth, and from ancient Silk Road networks to historical continuities with the Belt and Road Initiative. Such work moves beyond treating China as an isolated case, situating it instead within the long arc of human civilisation. It combines fine-grained case analysis with panoramic views of Chinese civilisational development—fully embodying the new paradigm of China studies under a global lens. This synergy confirms that the Initiative has already transcended the boundaries of a conventional educational project, becoming a key reference point and practical model for international scholarship on China.

　　Having been implemented for over a decade, the New Sinology Initiative has become a vital bridge connecting Chinese and foreign academic communities, earning wide recognition from the international scholarly community. Robert Chard of Oxford University commends its approach to knowledge integration as “gentle yet resolute”; Russian sinologist Liusha Luo of Saint Petersburg State University regards it as an innovative experiment; and Roger Ames of the University of Hawai‘i highlights how sustained exchange through the Initiative deepens understanding of “shared human culture”.

　　Its most distinctive value lies in translating academic innovation into tangible social impact. The systematically trained cohort of “China-literate” scholars is establishing new reference points for understanding China across the globe. From Johannesburg to São Paulo, Berlin to Jakarta, their research centres, university courses, and policy reports provide rational, scholarly foundations for national-level China comprehension—quietly steering international discourse toward greater objectivity and depth.

　　Looking ahead, at this historical turning point, the New Sinology Initiative holds promise for breakthroughs across multiple dimensions, injecting fresh momentum into disciplinary development. First, it can advance precise alignment with regional and country-specific studies. We should collaborate with leading institutions worldwide to develop customised “one-country-one-strategy” projects, exploring dual pathways of “Western comprehension” and “Global South learning”, ensuring China studies genuinely address regionally specific concerns and foster deep two-way understanding. Second, it can build a new paradigm driven by digital humanities. Amid converging forces of globalisation and digital civilisation, we should construct intelligent platforms integrating vast historical archives and contemporary social data; develop large-language-model-based “China Studies Research Assistants”; and establish a “Global China Studies MOOC Alliance” to promote transnational collaboration, data sharing, and co-creation of methodologies—leading a revolutionary upgrade in research methodology. Third, it can elevate research outputs into global public goods. In response to overseas universities’ needs, we should encourage joint establishment of permanent Sinology professorships or credit-bearing China studies courses abroad, systematising teaching and research. We should also encourage scholars to apply theoretical models derived from Chinese practice to interpret and address global challenges—including climate change and public health—achieving the pivotal shift from “telling China’s stories” to “contributing China’s solutions”.

(This article forms part of the interim findings of the National Social Science Fund’s Society Project “Collection, Organisation and Research on Global Policies for Chinese Language Education” [Project No. 25SGC182].)

　　(The authors are, respectively, a researcher at the Center for Language Education and Cooperation, Ministry of Education; and a professor at Beijing Language and Culture University.)