Themed "Future-Oriented Global Governance: Implementing the Pact for the Future and Embracing Harmonious Unity and Good Governance", the 2025 Annual Conference of the Consortium for Country and Area Studies (CCAS) was held in Beijing from Oct 17 to 18. Over 200 renowned experts and scholars from more than 40 countries and regions participated in the event.

The conference was hosted by Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU), organized by the Academy of Regional and Global Governance, BFSU, and co-organized by the Institute of Area Studies, Peking University, with support from the United Nations System in China.

2025 CCAS Annual Conference is held in Beijing. [Photo/bfsu.edu.cn]

Leaders and academic peers from over 40 domestic and international universities attended the conference both online and offline.

Jia Wenjian, BFSU's president and deputy secretary of the CPC BFSU Committee, along with CCAS's secretary-general, stated that China's global governance initiatives and the "harmonious and good governance" concept proposed by Chinese scholars have infused Eastern wisdom into global governance. BFSU is leveraging its strengths in the deep integration of foreign language studies with area and country studies to actively build an independent knowledge system for area studies.

Jia Wenjian delivers a speech at the conference. [Photo/bfsu.edu.cn]

Irina Bokova, recipient of the Chinese Government Friendship Award, former director-general of UNESCO, and honorary director of BFSU's Research Center of the United Nations and International Organizations, delivered a keynote speech titled "Global Governance Initiatives and Global Competence." She mentioned that at a time when the international community faces multiple challenges, it is crucial to strengthen the multilateral system of the UN and to make global competence a core component of higher education in order to cultivate young talents who can adeptly navigate the changing world.

Irina Bokova delivers a keynote speech. [Photo/bfsu.edu.cn]

Jia Wenjian and Irina Bokova jointly unveiled the "Interdisciplinary Innovation and Intelligence Base for Area Studies."

During the keynote forum of the annual conference, three major community-building achievements were announced: the "University Action Plan for Conducting Future Implementation," the BFSU-SOAS Joint Initiative on Area Studies, and the "Harmonious Unity and Good Governance" Young Scholars Network Initiative.

Jia Wenjian and Irina Bokova jointly unveil the "Interdisciplinary Innovation and Intelligence Base for Area Studies." [Photo/bfsu.edu.cn]

The annual conference featured six parallel sub-forums and concluded on October 18.

Participating experts and scholars from both China and abroad unanimously expressed that the CCAS should align with the developments of the times, focus on cutting-edge topics, and collaboratively promote the forward-looking development of the discipline of area studies.