On the afternoon of December 5, 2025, the 230th session of the Foreign Languages and Culture Forum and the 21st lecture of the Country and Regional Studies Lecture Series was successfully held. The lecture, themed The Country and Regional Cooperation Strategy for China's Technology Going Global During the 15th Five-Year Plan Period, was delivered by Professor Liu Hongwu. Professor Liu currently serves as Dean of the Institute of African Studies (College of African Area and Country Studies) at Zhejiang Normal University and Secretary-General of the Advisory Panel for Country and Regional Studies under the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council.
At the outset, Professor Liu shared first-hand cases drawn from his participation in Sino-African cooperation at both enterprise and government levels. These cases cover the coordination of cultural differences in project docking, the exploration of regional characteristics in industrial cooperation, and the innovation and summary of partnership models. Through these real-world examples, he vividly demonstrated the close connection between academic research and practical work, making abstract disciplinary concepts more accessible and highlighting the practical value of this discipline in China's international cooperation.
Building on these cases, Professor Liu systematically elaborated on the disciplinary positioning of Country and Regional Studies from a theoretical perspective. He pointed out that it is not a mere extension of any single discipline, but a comprehensive interdisciplinary field that takes specific regions or countries as its research units, emphasizing the regional adaptability and spatiotemporal relevance of professional knowledge.
Professor Liu noted that the development of Country and Regional Studies has injected new vitality into the discipline construction of universities. By breaking disciplinary boundaries and promoting interdisciplinary integration, an integrated knowledge system centered on specific regions and countries has taken shape. Through in-depth cooperation with international research institutions, universities have shifted from following Western academic benchmarks to building new global knowledge partnerships, thereby enhancing their international influence. Rooted in national strategies and practical needs, universities have extended the knowledge value chain, strengthened their think-tank functions, and supported professional and evidence-based governance.
In closing, Professor Liu systematically introduced talent cultivation strategies for this discipline. The discipline has established the Four-Dimensional Linkage Educational Model for Student Development—namely Real-life Practice, Academic Study, Professional Platform, and National Service—aiming to cultivate new-era scholars with global vision who can interpret the world and offer intellectual support for China's development.
The lecture was substantial in content, integrating practical experience with theoretical insights. Attending teachers and students remarked that the event deepened their systematic understanding of Country and Regional Studies, and provided forward-looking and practical insights for their future studies and research.
