1st “International Forum on Mutual Learning among Civilizations” successfully held Over 300 guests gathered in Macao to promote inter-civilizational exchange and development

MACAU, December 19 - Presented by the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region, organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, and supported by the Chinese Academy of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the “2025 International Forum on Mutual Learning among Civilizations” took place in Macao from 16 to 17 December 2025. Themed “Mutual Learning among Civilizations, Inheritance and Development”, the Forum attracted more than 50 representatives from government departments and international organizations as well as renowned experts and scholars worldwide to give over 20 high-quality keynote speeches, and welcomed more than 300 guests from various sectors home and abroad. The Forum established a platform for exchange among highly advanced civilizations, fully reflecting its cross-disciplinary and high-level international communication.

The Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, O Lam, said in her opening speech that the “2025 International Forum on Mutual Learning among Civilizations” marks a new starting point for advancing inter-civilizational dialogue with Macao as a platform. She expressed her hope that attending guests and scholars would delve into the cultural value of Macao, draw upon the wisdom of mutual learning among civilizations, and develop a replicable dialogue model arising from the prosperity of diverse cultures, thereby offering a “Macao solution” for global cultural exchange. The Deputy Minister of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Wang Gang, said in his speech that we should respect diverse civilizations and deepen mutual learning and appreciation; promote shared values and foster harmonious coexistence; safeguard cultural treasures while strengthening inheritance and innovation efforts; deepen cultural exchanges to build consensus on cooperation. He also called on participating experts and scholars to build consensus through exchanges, draw strength from mutual learning, and jointly inject new momentum into the prosperity of human civilizations.

The keynote speeches revolved around “Mutual Learning among Civilizations, Inheritance and Development”, with two parallel forums themed on “Mutual Learning among Civilizations and Diverse Coexistence” and “Conservation and Sustainable Development of Cultural Heritage”. The six academic salons focused on six topics: “Civilizational Continuity and Historical Paths”, “Global Challenges in the Protection of World Cultural Heritage”, “The Contemporary Value of the Practice of ‘One Country, Two Systems’ and Mutual Learning among Civilizations”, “Practices and Experiences in International Cooperation on Cultural Heritage Protection”, “Diversity of Civilizations and the Community with a Shared Future for Humanity”, and “From Macao’s Perspective: New Approaches to World Cultural Heritage Protection”. The discussions aimed to further inter-civilizational dialogue and exchange, while also summarizing the experiences of World Heritage preservation, promoting international cooperation as well as inspiring intellectual exchange and innovative connections in light of the 20^th anniversary of the inscription of the “Historic Centre of Macao” on the World Heritage List.

During his keynote speech, the Member of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Vice President of the Chinese Academy of History, Li Guoqiang, highlighted that President Xi Jinping’s Global Civilization Initiative (GCI) offers Chinese wisdom and solutions to the common challenges currently faced by human society. The Member of Academia Europaea, Research Professor and Director of the Obama Institute at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany, Alfred Hornung, stated that China’s GCI can be regarded as a modern interpretation and practice of Confucian values aimed at fostering harmonious human relationships and promoting a peaceful and secure world. The Vice Chair of the CPPCC Committee on Culture, History and Learning, and Chairman of the Executive Board of the Macao Foundation, Wu Zhiliang, discussed the unique role that Macao can play in transforming the idea of mutual learning among civilizations into a global public good, emphasizing that Macao should proactively upgrade itself as a “civilizational converter”, serving as both a “starting point” and a “hub” in global civilizational dialogue.

In addition, experts such as the Boya Chair Professor of the Peking University, Qian Chengdan; the Dean of School of Public Policy, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and Director of the Institute for International Affairs, Qianhai, Zheng Yongnian; the Director of the Liangzhu Museum (Liangzhu Research Institute) and  Professor at the School of Archaeology and Museology, Peking University, Xu Tianjin,  offered profound insights into the diversity of human civilisations from their own field of research. They quoted the classic saying of Fei Xiaotong, “Appreciate the beauty of each culture, recognize the beauty in others, share the beauty together, and achieve harmony in the world”, which echoes with the deeper connotations of the concept of mutual learning among civilizations while also marking this Forum with a lasting legacy.

At the closing ceremony, the “Mutual Learning Among Civilizations and Inheritance through Innovation: The Macao Initiative” (hereinafter referred to as the “Macao Initiative”) was officially released. The “Macao Initiative”, based on Macao’s positioning featuring “Chinese culture as the mainstay and diverse cultures coexisting in harmony”, advocates using Macao as a link, cultural heritage as a testament, and dialogue as a bridge to promote mutual appreciation, harmonious coexistence, and win-win cooperation among different civilizations. Its core ideas include: 1) upholding a global perspective to promote dialogue and experience sharing among civilizations; 2) championing openness and inclusiveness to deepen mutual learning and cultural exchange; 3) cherishing cultural heritage and integrating traditional wisdom with modern development; 4) focusing on intergenerational transmission to support youth development and digital innovation; 5) jointly building a platform for dialogue among civilizations and putting the GCI into practice.

The success of the “2025 International Forum on Mutual Learning among Civilizations” marks a pivotal initiative for Macao to proactively align with the country’s cultural development strategy, execute the GCI, and engage in global civilizational dialogue. The outcomes of the Forum have not only reinforced the international consensus on a community with a shared future for humanity, but also highlighted Macao’s unique role and positioning in the process of mutual learning among civilizations. This further provides solid support for the city’s construction as “an important bridgehead for the country’s high-level opening-up to the world” and “a vital window for the exchange and mutual learning among Chinese and Western civilizations”. Looking ahead, Macao will leverage this Forum as a starting point, culture as a link and dialogue as a bridge to further promote exchange among global civilizations, foster win-win international cooperation, and contribute to the development of a community with a shared future for humanity.