Scholars and policymakers from 10 countries gathered in Macao SAR this week to champion cross-cultural collaboration as the ultimate hack for solving humanity’s biggest challenges. The 2025 International Forum on Mutual Learning Among Civilizations kicked off Tuesday with a clear message: ‘Diversity isn’t just cool – it’s essential for survival.’ 🧠💥
Why This Matters in 2025
As climate crises and tech ethics debates dominate headlines, Peking University’s Prof. Qian Chengdan dropped truth bombs: ‘Civilizations grow through contact, not clash.’ He called out outdated colonial-era mindsets, arguing that 2025’s global youth deserve narratives beyond ‘West vs the Rest.’
History’s Greatest Collabs
Did you know China’s 1,300-year-old imperial exam system inspired British civil service reforms? CASS historian Li Guoqiang highlighted this as proof that innovation thrives through cultural remixing. From Ming Dynasty trade routes to Macao’s iconic East-West fusion (think: egg tarts meets Portuguese architecture 🥮🏛️), the forum celebrated hybridity as humanity’s superpower.
Macao: The OG Cultural Bridge
Host city Macao SAR – where temple incense blends with cathedral bells – served as the perfect backdrop. Li emphasized that ‘coexistence isn’t passive – it’s active creation’, pointing to the region’s UNESCO-listed heritage as a blueprint for 21st-century diplomacy.
With 50+ experts brainstorming till Wednesday, one meme-worthy takeaway emerged: In 2025, ‘Your fave culture probably has a dope feature another civilization needs.’ 🔄🌐
