ATU President Advances Intercultural Dialogue at International Confucian Association Forum in China

Report by Directorate for International Academic Cooperation, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran—

Source: https://en.ica.org.cn

Translated into English by Rasoul Firouzi

Dr Shoja Ahmadvand, President of Allameh Tabataba’i University (ATU), participated in the "Second Meeting of the Seventh Executive Committee of the International Confucian Association (ICA)" and the "Conference on Zhu Xi's Philosophy and Global Civilization Dialogue," held from October 16-20 in Xiamen and Nanping, China.

The high-level event, presided over by ICA President, Ms Sun Chunlan, gathered leading scholars and committee members from around the world to discuss the contemporary relevance of Confucian thought and promote mutual learning among global civilizations.

Dr Ahmadvand's participation was particularly significant due to his extensive academic work in comparative philosophy. He presented his research, "The Philosophical Systems of Zhu Xi and Suhrawardi," which offers a groundbreaking comparative analysis of the 12th-century Neo-Confucian master Zhu Xi and his contemporary, the Persian philosopher Shihab al-Din Suhrawardi. In this paper, he explored the dialectic between rationalism and mysticism in their respective systems, bridging the intellectual traditions of China and the Islamic world.

During the conference, Dr Ahmadvand engaged in discussions on developing deeper academic ties and exploring shared ethical frameworks between Eastern and West Asian philosophical traditions. His presence underscored Allameh Tabataba’i University's commitment, as Iran's leading specialized university in the humanities and social sciences, to building robust international partnerships and contributing to a global dialogue of civilizations.

The conference, which marked the 895th anniversary of Zhu Xi's birth, provided a valuable platform for scholars to exchange ideas on how ancient wisdom can address modern global challenges. Dr Ahmadvand’s contribution highlighted a rich, yet often overlooked, historical parallel between the intellectual golden ages of Song Dynasty China and Persia, paving the way for future collaborative research.