Short Report: Civilization and Conceptions of World Order Conference

On June 16–17, 2025, the joint center for advanced studies Worldmaking from Global Perspectives: A Dialogue with China organized an international conference on “Civilization and Conceptions of World Order.” The event was sponsored by the German Ministry of Education and Research and held at a location of the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Lower Saxony. Bringing together scholars from across Asia, Europe, and North America, the event explored civilizational discourses and their role in shaping (partly weaponized) visions of global order. Prof. Dominic Sachsenmaier figured as the main host.

Photos taken by Haifeng Weng. 

Conference Announcement

Civilization and Conceptions of World Order

June 16–17, 2025

Conference Venue

Niedersächsische Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen

Geiststrasse 10, Room 1.118

We are pleased to announce the upcoming conference Civilization and Conceptions of World Order, which will take place on June 16–17, 2025, at the Niedersächsische Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen (Geiststrasse 10, Room 1.118).

This conference brings together international scholars to explore civilizational narratives and conceptions of world order from inter-Asian and global perspectives. Over two days, panels will address a wide range of topics, including recent civilizational debates in China, civilizational discourses in East Asia, proposals for a “good society” in Taiwan and beyond, as well as genealogies of civilizational narratives in both China and India. The conference will conclude with a roundtable discussion on the global and local contexts of the rise of civilizational narratives.

Conference Program Highlights:

• Keynote Panels and Presentations:

  Scholars from Duke University, Indiana University, Fudan University, Columbia University, Peking University, Rowan University, and other institutions will present their latest research.

• Roundtable Discussion:

  A final roundtable chaired by Dominic Sachsenmaier (University of Göttingen) with Hans Kundnani (Royal Institute of International Affairs, London), Srirupa Roy (University of Göttingen), and Mohammed Alsudairi (ANU Canberra).

• Invited Discussants:

  Steven Halsey (University of Miami), Fang Ruobing (University of Göttingen), Axel Schneider (University of Göttingen), Zhang Tong (Handelshøyskolen, Oslo), and Zhao Xiaoyang (University of Göttingen).

Funding Information

This conference is generously funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

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