March 12, local time, the Publishing Forum on “China’s Academic Sharing and Dissemination around the Globe” and Book Launch of the “China Perspective” Series, hosted by China Renmin University Press, is held in London during the London Book Fair 2024.
Guests attending the forum include Bi Haibo, Minister Counsellor, Embassy of China in the UK; Li Yongqiang, Chair of Press Council, Chairman of the Board, China Renmin University Press; Yu Bo, Vice Editor-in-Chief, China Renmin University Press; Jeremy North, Managing Director, Taylor & Francis Books; Seth Cayley, Vice President, Global Academic Product, Gale, part of Cengage Group; Gu Qing, Secretary of the Party Committee, Commercial Press; Lei Jianhua, Executive Assistant of China National Publications Import and Export (Group) Co., Ltd. (CNPIEC) and Director of BIBF Office; Gao Zilong, Editor-in-Chief, Information Center for Social Sciences of Renmin University of China; Professor Dr. Martin Albrow, Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences (UK); Professor Zhao Yulan, School of Marxism Studies, Renmin University of China, as well as representatives from other publishers home and abroad.
The forum engages in in-depth communication and exchanges on topics such as the strategic significance of constructing China’s own knowledge system and its international dissemination, the influence and contribution of Chinese academics to the global knowledge system, Chinese content sought by European and American academic publishers, and effective ways of disseminating China’s academic results around the globe.
On behalf of the Embassy of China in the UK, Minister Counsellor Bi Haibo congratulates the hosting of the forum. He points out that civilizations are more colorful thanks to exchanges and richer thanks to mutual learning. Through Sino-foreign academic exchanges and cooperation, Chinese academics is able to learn from all the excellent civilizational achievements created by human beings more proactively, and at the same time, in the process of solving China’s problems on the basis of China’s reality, Chinese academics has stronger abilities to provide ideas and solutions for solving global problems.
Jeremy North notes that the number of academic publications and the global rankings of Chinese universities are increasing year by year, and that China is paying more attention to the “lasting value of academics” rather than simply pursuing statistical indicators. As a publisher, he says he is pleased to see scholars working together across institutions and national boundaries, and is willing to provide better services to the international students. He hopes that Taylor & Francis Publishing Group and China Renmin University Press will do more in partnership and cooperation, and disseminate more of China’s academic achievements.
Vice President Seth Cayley points out that with China’s rapid economic growth, international researchers and students are becoming increasingly interested in China, and Gale launched its Asia Publishing Program in 2008. Gale’s cooperation with China Renmin University Press dates back to 2009 when a 5-volume pictorial series on the history of Qing dynasty was published. Since then the two publishers have co-published a total of 40 titles in five series, including the Li & Fung Management Series, Chinese Scholars on the Chinese Economy, and Studies on Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. This collaboration continues to thrive, with the signing of a new contract to publish a series of 12 titles on the concept of Chinese modernization in 2023.
Academician Martin Albright expresses his honor attending the Forum and delivers a keynote speech. He believes that one result of global sharing is of course Chinese scholars too can transmit their own understanding of China to the rest of the world. The concept of consultative democracy in China, as articulated by General Secretary Xi Jinping, clarifies the true purpose of democracy.
Professor Zhao Yulan, on the other hand, elaborates on China’s academic “going global” and “rights acquisition” from a Marxist perspective. She believes that although the international dissemination of Chinese academic results has made great achievements, there is still a long way to go. She firmly believes that China’s academic achievements with Chinese characteristics will definitely add unique colors and fragrance to the garden of international academia.
In his concluding remarks, Chairman Li Yongqiang points out that to let the world understand China’s achievements in social science, to provide reference and experience for the modernization and development of other countries, to respond positively to the major realities that are of universal concern to mankind, and to contribute to the world the knowledge and wisdom of China’s solutions, such are the important missions to be carried out by China’s publishing industry in their overseas publication. China Renmin University Press focuses on the publication of outstanding academic and theoretical achievements, and is the major publishing centre of Chinese humanities and social sciences, as well as the backbone of Sino-foreign academic exchanges. In Sino-foreign academic exchanges, China Renmin University Press adheres to the publishing ideal of “focusing on China, focusing on the contemporary, focusing on the academics”, and up to now, it has licensed more than 3,000 titles which have been translated into more than 40 languages and published in more than 50 countries and regions.
During the Forum, together the guests witnessed the book launch of the “China Perspective” series by China Renmin University Press and Routledge Publishing. The highlight of the event was the release of A Study of Chinese Characters and Excavated Documents in China by Wang Guiyuan and Transcendence and Return: Study of Theory Justice of Marxism: Debate, Dialogue and Defense by Zhang Xiaomeng. Minister Counsellor Bi Haibo, Chairman Li Yongqiang and Managing Director Jeremy North unveiled the two books together. As an open series of humanities and social sciences, the “China Perspective” series brings together the cutting-edge achievements of contemporary Chinese humanities and social sciences, which helps overseas readers to know more about China and understand China, and provides academic support for the introduction of “China’s Solutions” to the world. Up till now, China Renmin University Press and Routledge, Taylor & Francis have jointly published more than 40 titles in the series, and in the future more titles will be published each year.