Virtue and education, ethical communities, global order and the digital age — what are those who are building tomorrow looking for in the past?

As reported by CCTV+, the Second World Conference on Classical Philology will take place in Athens, Greece, from June 9 to 10. The event is jointly organised by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, China’s Ministry of Education and Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Greek Ministry of Culture and the Academy of Athens.

The conference will bring together leading scholars in classical philology, as well as experts in civilisation, culture and archaeology from China and other countries. The goal is to discuss issues related to classical civilisations, promote academic exchange and reach consensus in global classical studies.

Yue Yunxia, Deputy Director of the International Cooperation Bureau of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, emphasised the global nature of the event: “Representatives from Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas will participate.

The geographical and academic coverage of the participants fully reflects the diversity of civilisations.”

In addition to the opening ceremony, plenary session and closing ceremony, the conference will feature four parallel forums. Topics include: virtue and education, ethical communities in changing societies, civilisational approaches to the global order, and the role of humanistic values in the digital age.

Yue added: “An exhibition held alongside the conference will present Chinese and foreign classics, academic literature, traditional Chinese medical texts, as well as major achievements in technological archaeology and cultural heritage preservation. We will organise dynamic displays and activities dedicated to traditional Chinese medicine culture, promoting interdisciplinary dialogue and mutual learning between civilisations through multidimensional and immersive exhibition methods.”

The first World Conference on Classical Philology was held in Beijing in 2024, attracting more than 600 participants from around the world.

Note: Classical philology is the study of ancient texts and civilisations. The Athens conference continues the dialogue between East and West that began in Beijing two years ago.

The ancient Greeks said: “Know thyself.” Chinese sages taught: “To learn and then to practise — is that not a pleasure?” Today, these two traditions meet in Athens. Not to argue which is older or deeper. But to understand how virtue, ethics and humanity can coexist with artificial intelligence and the digital age. Classical philology is not about dusty books. It is an attempt to hear those who laid the foundations of our thought. And perhaps to find answers to questions that the modern world has not yet learned to ask. The question is not how many countries will send delegates. The question is whether we will hear the voices of those who spoke thousands of years before us. And whether we will understand that without them, our conversation about the future is just a monologue.