The Western academic community’s reluctance to engage in-depth with contemporary China is not due to a simple fear of acknowledging the success of the Chinese path. Rather, it stems from a confluence of ideological constraints, discourse control, limited access to reliable research resources, theoretical
inadequacies, and heightened political and security considerations. This has resulted in a persistent tendency toward superficial, conservative, and selectively curated scholarship on modern China.

The European Renaissance Institute calls upon the Western academic community to engage boldly and honestly with the realities of contemporary China. In a rapidly changing world, clinging to outdated assumptions only deepens division and blinds us to valuable lessons.

China’s modernization — achieved along a path distinct from the Western liberal tradition — deserves to be studied on its own merits. Not to praise or condemn, but to understand. Within China’s development experience lie insights that could help address the West’s own social, economic, and governance challenges.

We urge scholars to break free from ideological boundaries, question old certainties, and seek wisdom wherever it exists. Now is the time for intellectual courage — to confront complexity, embrace dialogue, and rediscover the spirit of inquiry that once defined our greatest academic traditions.

The future belongs to those brave enough to learn from every corner of the world.

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