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“International Forum on Mutual Learning among Civilizations 2026” inaugurates with joint efforts to promote the harmonious coexistence of different civilizations

November 9, 2026

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Inauguration of the “International Forum on Mutual Learning among Civilizations 2026”

Presented by the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region, with the academic support of the Chinese Academy of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the opening of the “International Forum on Mutual Learning among Civilizations 2026” was grandly held today (9 November) at the Galaxy International Convention Center in Macao.

The “International Forum on Mutual Learning among Civilizations” is a concrete measure adopted by the Macao SAR Government to implement President Xi Jinping’s initiative, relying on Macao’s role as “a base for exchange and cooperation where Chinese culture is the mainstream and diverse cultures coexist”. The Forum aims to fully leverage the advantages of Macao’s integration of Chinese and Western cultures, as well as Macao’s unique role as a “precise interlocutor” between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries, upholding the principles of equality and respect, openness and inclusiveness, and mutual cooperation and benefit, building a platform for contemporary dialogue among civilizations, promoting the harmonious coexistence of different civilizations, and valuing Macao’s contributions to building a community with a shared future for humanity.

The opening ceremony of the “International Forum on Mutual Learning among Civilizations 2026” was held at 9:30am, and was officiated by the Chief Executive of the Macao SAR, Sam Hou Fai; the Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR, Zheng Xincong; the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Macao SAR, Bian Lixin; the President of the Legislative Assembly of the Macao SAR, Cheong Weng Chon; the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, O Lam; the Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR, Yang Weiqun; the Director of the Information Bureau of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Zhang Qiang; the Member of the Academic Divisions of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Director of Research Centre for Macao History of the Chinese Academy of History, Li Guoqiang; the Director of the Culture and Sports Bureau of the Macao SAR Government, Leong Wai Man; and was attended by various government officials and people from social sectors.

With a new contemporary perspective, the “International Forum on Mutual Learning of Civilizations 2026” focuses on the core theme of “Mutual Learning among Civilizations, Inheritance and Development”, featuring over 300 representatives from government departments, international organizations, internationally renowned experts and scholars from over 20 countries worldwide to conduct in-depth discussions themed around “Cross-disciplinary Cultural Dialogue”, “Cultural Connections between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries” and “The Glory of Civilizations in the AI Era”.

In the Keynote Session, seven leading cultural experts shared their insights, including the member of the Academic Divisions of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Feng Shi; the Director of the Research Department of the Toyo Bunko and Senior Research Fellow of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Humanities of the Sun Yat-sen University, Hamashita Takeshi; the Director of the Centre on Contemporary China and the World and Professor of the School of Governance and Policy at the University of Hong Kong, Li Cheng; the President of Minzu University of China, Qiang Shigong; the Dean of the School of Public Policy at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Zheng Yongnian; the Executive Vice President of the Federation of Associations of Cultural Sectors of Macau, Mok Ian Ian; and the Professor of Ancient History of the Department of Classics of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of King’s College London, United Kingdom, Hugh Bowden, who explored the contemporary value of inheritance and cultural exchange among civilizations from multiple perspectives.

At 2pm that same afternoon, two sub-forums “Cross-disciplinary Cultural Dialogue” and “The Glory of Civilizations in the AI Era” were held concurrently, featuring numerous high-quality addresses and academic dialogues on topics such as the dissemination of civilization in the digital age, culture inheritance, cross-disciplinary cultural dialogue, and frontier issues in artificial intelligence, offering attendees a wealth of profound intellectual inspiration.

The Forum will continue with two sub-forums “Cultural Connections between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries” and “The Glory of Civilizations in the AI Era” tomorrow (10 November).