An international visiting research program jointly launched by the Nishan World Center for Confucian Studies, China Confucius Foundation and Shandong University (SDU) has brought nearly 40 overseas scholars to Shandong since its launch in 2024.

A meeting for visiting scholars was held at the China Confucius Research Institute in Qufu on Aug 19. Nine scholars from the United States, South Korea, Malaysia, Bulgaria, Indonesia and other countries shared their research progress and academic experiences. They also discussed ways to enhance academic support and develop longer-term international research collaboration.

Li Shihua, Party secretary and deputy director of the Nishan World Center for Confucian Studies, said the program provides an opportunity for Confucian scholars from different countries to conduct research and engage in academic dialogue in Confucius' birthplace. He encouraged participants to deepen research on Confucianism and traditional Chinese culture and strengthen exchanges between Chinese and overseas academic communities.

The meeting also witnessed the inauguration of a new research center dedicated to dialogue between Confucian and Islamic civilizations in China and Malaysia. The center was established under a cooperation agreement signed in 2025 between the Nishan World Center for Confucian Studies and Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman in Malaysia. It is intended to facilitate further academic exchanges between Confucian and Islamic traditions.