Conference: Dec 20–22, 2025, Beijing
We are pleased to share the announcement for the upcoming conference Utopias and Their Pursuit: A Comparative Study of the East and West, to be held in Beijing and jointly sponsored by several units at the University of Notre Dame, including the Franco Family Institute, the Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion, the Kellogg Institute for International Studies, Notre Dame Global, and the Medieval Institute.
Conference Overview
Dates: December 20–22, 2025
Location: Notre Dame Beijing
Conference Introduction
Major religions and spiritual traditions articulate their own visions of utopia, and these ideals have shaped the political and social foundations of their respective civilizations. This conference seeks to explore utopian ideals and their practical manifestations by bringing Chinese and Western thought and historical experience into dialogue. Topics include philosophical and theological accounts and critiques of utopia; policies and historical events inspired by utopian visions; and the ways utopian ideas continue to influence contemporary global discourse.
Organizers
Liang Cai (蔡亮), Alexander O. Hsu (徐恩熙)
Levi Checketts (崔利怀), Xueying Wang (王雪迎)
Keynote Talks — December 20
4:00 PM
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Yuri Pines, Renmin University of China
“Between Utopianism and Realism: Early Chinese Political Thought” -
Keith Knapp, The Citadel
“Confucian Utopian Egalitarianism: The Equalization of Fields System (Juntian zhi 均田制) and Its Ideological Origins”
Dinner: 6:30 PM
Program — December 21–22
The multi-day program features panels on early Chinese political thought, Greek utopian models, medieval Eurasian visions of political order, Confucian universalism, modern utopian theory, and contemporary regional utopias.
The full schedule, along with detailed abstracts, is available in the attached program file.
How to Join the Keynote Sessions
Both keynote posters contain a QR code.
Please scan the QR codes on the posters to directly access the keynote sessions via Zoom or livestream.
Attachments
Below are the official posters and program materials:
For inquiries or for sharing the event information, please contact us 📧.
We warmly welcome all interested participants to join the discussions.