Crossing a milestone in the journey called Sinology
A day before the World Chinese Language Conference (Nov 14-16) kicked off, I looked up from my work to notice the headline "President Xi Jinping Replies to Young Sinologists". I immediately understood that the joint letter we had carefully drafted months ago had received a serious response. As one of its initiators, I felt it was not only a reply to a small group of signatories, but a message to an entire generation of young Sinologists and a clear mission for the road ahead. For me, it was like reaching a milestone in my long journey in Sinology.
As a young Sinologist who has spent many years studying and working in China, I have seen how strongly the country supports our tribe. Scholarships and exchanges, training schemes, research workshops and major events such as the World Chinese Language Conference and the World Conference on Sinology all give us space to grow and to meet scholars from around the world. Colleagues from many countries share the same feeling: we are not only listening to China's stories, we are also telling them, and learning even as we explain. This dual role makes us increasingly aware that we must bring our real experiences and voices to higher platforms.
It was out of this awareness that, ahead of this year's World Chinese Language Conference and coordinated by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation, 61 young Sinologists from 51 countries jointly wrote to President Xi. We outlined our paths in Chinese studies, shared what we had seen and felt while studying, living and working in China, and expressed our wish to deepen this engagement and serve as bridges between civilizations. In essence, the letter was both a report on our work in China and a solemn encouragement saying: please continue to trust us and entrust us with more.
We were greatly encouraged to receive the reply we had been hoping for. In his letter, President Xi said he was glad that young Sinologists enjoy learning Chinese, love Chinese culture and are actively promoting Sinology and mutual learning between civilizations. He stressed that Sinology "originates in China but belongs to the world" and is part of humanity's shared spiritual heritage. He urged us to walk together with Sinology and with China, deepen research and interpretation, present a real and multi-dimensional China, act as envoys between civilizations and contribute to building a community with a shared future for humanity. Reading these lines, I recognized almost every key idea we had mentioned in our letter — love for the language, commitment to Sinology, belief in mutual learning and willingness to serve as bridges. The reply acknowledged our efforts, affirmed our direction and raised our expectations; it felt, in a very real sense, like being called by name.
At the World Chinese Language Conference, the Center for Language Education and Cooperation announced the establishment of a global young Sinologists' academic community and presented certificates to the first cohort of "New Sinology Program Scholars". Certificate No. 001 was presented to me by the Vice-Minister of Education. What mattered to me was not the number itself, but the signal behind it: China expects us to turn what we have learned and experienced here into concrete contributions to dialogue between civilizations. For me, this certificate is not only an honor but also a written task list, a reminder to match that trust with high standards of professionalism in research, teaching and public engagement.
My own journey in Sinology has been a long process of seeking within the Chinese language and intellectual world. It began in the Chinese department of Cairo University in Egypt, where reading my first Chinese characters turned curiosity into deep fascination. Later, with the support of scholarship programs of the Center for Language Education and Cooperation, I came to China for my master's degree and doctoral studies. Under the guidance of my supervisors I learned methods, read original sources and joined academic debate, while life in cities and communities allowed me to see contemporary China at close range. Those years took me from knowing China mainly through books to understanding it in real, lived space.
After completing my doctorate, I chose to remain in China as a university teacher. I now serve as an assistant professor at Peking University, using both Chinese and Arabic to explore China and the wider world with my students. In the classroom I am a teacher, but also a researcher and translator: I work to understand China more deeply through its own discourse, and to render Chinese scholarship, literature and experiences of development into forms that speak to Arabic readers. Through this work I also try to train students to present contemporary China in accurate and persuasive Arabic, and to grow into globally minded professionals able to share China's voice on the international stage.
This road is not easy. Crossing languages, adapting to new academic paradigms and constantly shifting one's vantage point between cultures all demand time, patience and humility. Yet it is precisely this "long distance" that has allowed me to witness China's transformation from up close and, in a modest way, to take part in how the world comes to understand it. From student to young scholar and now to university teacher, each stage has reminded me that Sinology is a long and winding road, but one that is worth a lifetime of effort.
President Xi's letter has sharpened this awareness. It has made clear that our generation of young Sinologists carries real expectations, and it has strengthened my resolve to devote myself to the study of China and to dialogue between civilizations. Looking ahead, I hope to remain rooted in China's evolving reality, to pursue rigorous research and careful translation, and to tell real, nuanced and vivid stories of China in both Chinese and Arabic. Together with my peers, I will continue to walk this long road in Sinology, seeking, learning and serving as a bridge between China and the wider world.
The author is an assistant professor at Peking University.
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