In a world where headlines often highlight conflict, French sinologist Benoît Vermander is making waves with his timeless message: Dialogue is the ultimate peacemaker. The Fudan University professor, whose 50-year journey with Chinese culture began with a Paris museum visit in the 1970s, recently sat down with CGTN to unpack why listening matters more than ever in 2026.
🔍 "Real understanding isn’t a TikTok trend—it’s a slow dance," says Vermander, whose cross-disciplinary work blends classical Chinese studies with modern philosophy. His secret sauce? Treating cultural exchange like building IRL friendships: "It’s not about perfect grammar, but showing up with curiosity and zero agenda."
🌏 With global tensions simmering from tech rivalries to climate debates, Vermander’s playbook cuts through the noise: 1) Ditch the debate mentality 2) Embrace the awkward pauses 3) Remember that every culture has plot twists worth discovering.
📚 Fun fact: This polyglot academic still geeks out over 2,000-year-old Chinese poetry. "Those ancient writers? They were the original cross-cultural storytellers," he grins. Talk about #ThrowbackThursday inspiration!
