The Institute of Area Studies, Peking University held a cooperation and exchange meeting with a delegation from Freie Universität Berlin on November 4, 2024. The delegation from Freie Universität Berlin included Vice President Verena Blechinger-Talcott; Alexander Libman, professor of Political Science at the East European Studies Institute; Herbert Grieshop, director of International Affairs; and Stefan Rummel, head of Academic Relations. Attendees from Peking University included Pan Lu, Chinese director of the Confucius Institute at Freie Universität Berlin; Zhang Yongle, deputy director of the Institute of Area Studies; Chen Hongjie, professor at the School of Education; Sun Feiyu, deputy dean of Yuanpei College; Mao Mingchao, deputy director of the Department of German in the School of Foreign Languages; Lin Fangfang, deputy director of General Affairs Division of Peking University’s Office of International Relations; and Xiang Wei, postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Japanese in the School of Foreign Languages.

Peking University and Freie Universität Berlin share a long history of collaboration that dates back to 1981. In recent years, as Sino-German relations have deepened, cooperation between the two universities has intensified, yielding notable achievements, particularly in area studies. Freie Universität Berlin was the first international partner to sign a cooperation agreement with the Institute of Area Studies. Over the past six years, both institutions have jointly organized numerous online and offline academic exchange activities and have engaged in student exchanges for field research.

During this exchange meeting, the two sides engaged in extensive discussions on academic cooperation between Chinese and German universities and the future development of area studies. Verena Blechinger-Talcott introduced the existing regional studies centers at Freie Universität Berlin, which cover Eastern Europe, North America, and Latin America, as well as the university’s well-established foundation in East Asian studies. The close collaborative relationship between Freie Universität Berlin and the Institute of Area Studies has led to significant progress in East Asian studies. Both sides expressed interest in exploring broader cooperation opportunities in future research on Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and Latin America.

Zhang Yongle presented an overview of area studies at Peking University, highlighting that the Institute of Area Studies serves as the coordinating body for area studies across the university, working closely with over 60 area studies institutions at Peking University. This network supports multi-level research covering major countries and regions around the world. He emphasized that Peking University has corresponding research strengths in the areas of interest to Freie Universität Berlin and expressed optimism about future collaborations that will leverage the strengths of both universities to advance area studies.

Subsequent discussions delved into the current state of and prospects for collaboration in East Asian, Eastern European, Latin American, and African studies. Sun Feiyu introduced the joint East Asian Studies program between Yuanpei College and the University of Tokyo, which has fostered a robust network of scholars through international collaborative research, faculty exchanges, and summer and winter workshops. Alexander Libman presented the university’s research on Eastern Europe and Russia, expressing hope for strengthened collaboration in this area. Herbert Grieshop shared additional insights into the university’s efforts in international cooperation. Both sides agreed to intensify cooperation in research on Japan, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Latin America, and Africa. They suggested expanding exchange opportunities through faculty and student visits, international conferences, and joint research projects.

This meeting, which focused on area studies, further consolidated the collaborative relationship between Peking University and Freie Universität Berlin. Implementing future cooperation intentions will foster mutual learning and collaboration between the academic communities in China and Europe in the field of area studies.