I. Program Vision

In recent decades, Sinological research in parts of Europe, North America, and East Asia has gradually shifted its focus from historical China and classical texts toward contemporary China and present-day issues. While this transition reflects broader developments within the humanities and has expanded the scope and thematic concerns of Sinology, it has also had certain unintended consequences. Sustained engagement with Chinese classical literature, long-standing intellectual traditions, and major scholarly works of the modern period has significantly diminished. As a result, a millennia-old body of intellectual and scholarly heritage risks becoming increasingly marginalized within the global humanities landscape.

In response, the Baiqian Initiative at Peking University is grounded in the depth and richness of China’s own scholarly traditions while committed to meaningful dialogue with global humanities scholarship. The Project seeks to promote the systematic organization, rigorous study, and high-quality translation of Chinese academic classics, with the goal of restoring and sustaining the rightful presence and influence of Chinese intellectual traditions within international academic discourse.

To cultivate a new generation of Sinologists equipped with solid scholarly training and cross-cultural perspectives, to foster deep dialogue across intellectual traditions, and to inject sustained vitality into global Sinological studies, the Baiqian Initiative, in collaboration with the Yenching Academy of Peking University and the Department of History at Zhejiang University, warmly invites outstanding young scholars worldwide to apply for the First World Young Sinologists Summer Institute.

The Summer Institute will be held at Peking University. Through keynote lectures, thematic workshop, academic forums, and cultural field visits, it aims to establish a high-level, international, and interdisciplinary platform for emerging scholars in Sinology.

II. Program Structure and Preliminary Schedule

The inaugural Summer Institute will run for six days (June 29 – July 4, 2026). The preliminary schedule includes:

• Registration and Orientation: Introduction to the Summer Institute and the Baiqian Initiative
• A series of ten (10) distinguished lectures delivered by internationally renowned scholars
• The World Young Sinologists Forum
• A mentoring roundtable: Translation in Transition: In Conversation with Professor Dong Qiang
• Field visits to major cultural and academic institutions
• Opening Ceremony and Closing Session

Invited speakers include:

1. CHEN Pingyuan 陳平原
   PekingU 北京大學
   Humanistic Studies in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
   AI時代的人文學
2. DENG Xiaonan 鄧小南
   PekingU 北京大學
   Toward a “Living” Institutional History: The Case of the Bureaucratic System of the Song Dynasty
   走向“活”的制度史：以宋代官僚制度史為例
3. DONG Qiang 董強
   PekingU 北京大學
   My Views on the Translation and Dissemination of Tang Poetry
   唐詩翻譯與傳播之我見
4. Michael FRIEDRICH 傅敏怡
   UoHamburg (Germany) 德國漢堡大學
   Continental European Sinology: Subject and Method
   歐洲大陸漢學：對象與方法
5. Imre GALAMBOS 高奕睿
   UoCambridge (UK) 英國劍橋大學/ZhejiangU 浙江大學
   These Terms of Ours: Continuity in Sinology
   吾人此世：漢學之延續
6. Imre HAMAR 郝清新
   Eötvös Loránd University (Hungary) 匈牙利羅蘭大學
   Chinese Interpretation of the Avatamsaka Sutra
   中國對《華嚴經》的闡釋
7. Barend TER HAAR 田海
   UoHamburg (Germany)/PekingU 德國漢堡大學/北京大學
   The Divine Soldiers (shenbing 神兵) or Boxers and Buddhism in 1900: A New Look at Their Posters and Amulets
   神兵或義和團（1900）與佛教：其海報與護符再窺
8. XIA Xiaohong 夏曉虹
   PekingU 北京大學
   New Perspectives in the Study of Women in the Late Qing Dynasty
   晚清女性研究的新視野
9. YAN Haiying 顏海英
   PekingU 北京大學
   The Ancient Egyptian Artifacts Collected in China: The Horse Culture of China and Egypt
   中國收藏的古埃及文物——中國與埃及的馬文化
10. YANG Lihua 楊立華
    PekingU 北京大學
    The Spirit of Traditional Chinese Philosophy: The Great Yi and the Creation after Creation
    中國傳統哲學的精神：大易與生生

III. Academic Program

The Summer Institute will feature seven distinguished international scholars offering keynote lectures or thematic courses. Each lecture will draw upon the speaker’s sustained research, presenting distinctive methodologies, scholarly concerns, and theoretical perspectives that have shaped their respective fields.

Further details will be announced.

IV. Academic and Cultural Exchange Activities

In addition to formal coursework, participants will engage in a mentoring roundtable with Professor Dong Qiang, distinguished translator and Dean of the Yenching Academy of Peking University. Professor Dong will share his extensive experience in scholarly translation and cross-cultural intellectual exchange.

The program will also include organized visits to significant cultural heritage sites and research institutions, deepening participants’ understanding of China’s historical and cultural contexts.

Participants are additionally welcome to attend:

• The Glorisun International Intensive Summer Program for Buddhist Studies (hosted by the Center for the Study of Classical Texts and Arts at Peking University and the Glorisun Global Network for Buddhist Studies) and its accompanying international conference on Buddhist Translation;
• The symposium “New Materials and New Perspectives in Asian Civilization Studies” (hosted by the Center for Buddhist Civilization Studies at Zhejiang University and the Glorisun Global Network for Buddhist Studies).

Limited travel subsidies may be provided for participation in these additional programs. These events will offer further opportunities for formal presentations, scholarly exchange, and the cultivation of long-term academic collaboration among young scholars.

V. Selection Process

Thirty (30) outstanding participants will be selected globally.

Eligible applicants include doctoral candidates, postdoctoral researchers, and early-career faculty members working in Sinology or related fields.

In addition to academic background and research potential, applicants must demonstrate strong proficiency in both Chinese and English and be able to participate actively in academic discussions in both languages.

VI. Application Procedures

Please submit the complete application materials by April 15, 2026 to:

• gbnqc@pku.edu.cn
• Frogbear.Project@ubc.ca

Required materials:

1. Completed application form
2. Curriculum vitae
3. One writing sample (no restriction on topic or length; Chinese or English accepted)
4. One letter of recommendation (to be sent directly by the referee to the email addresses above)

VII. Financial Information

There is no registration fee for the Summer Institute.

The organizers will provide accommodation and meals during the program. Depending on available funding, partial domestic or international travel support may also be provided.