November, 13th, 2019
Resource: CCTV international online
Reporter: Han Xi

The International Society for the Studies of the Chinese Overseas (ISSCO) met at JNU from Nov. 8 to 10.
Jointly held by JNU’s School of International Studies/Academy of Overseas Chinese Studies and the Institute of Overseas Chinese, the conference attracted nearly 280 scholars from 30 countries and regions, including the United States, Russia, Britain, Germany, France, Canada, Singapore, Japan, Brazil, Vietnam, Malaysia and China. This conference is an influential international academic seminar with larger scale and more participants in recent years.
With the theme “Global Perspective: Overseas Chinese and China,” this conference aimed to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in academic circles and expand the international influence of research on overseas Chinese.
 

(The conference scene)
Addressing the conference, JNU Party Secretary Lin Rupeng said overseas Chinese are a special group, gradually formed in the process of globalization and China’s internationalization. He said they had become a topic with Chinese characteristics and global significance in terms of their large numbers, wide geographical presence, and the central government’s longstanding governance and policies on overseas Chinese affairs.
Zhang Chunwang, director of Academy of Overseas Chinese Studies, said that in modern times, overseas Chinese had been closely related to the Chinese nation and greatly influenced by Chinese culture, as reflected in their cultural heritage, cultural identity, emotional belonging, philanthropy, political choices, and investment. He said they served as bridge for exchange between China and the countries where they lived.
Prof. Chen Zhiming, chairman of the International Society for the Study of Chinese Overseas, attended the conference and delivered a speech.
 

(Specialists and scholars attending the conference)
Prof. Li Minghuan of the School of International Studies and Academy of Overseas Chinese Studies, a well-known specialist studying global migration issues, was appointed leader of ISSCO for a three-year term.
Founded in 1992, the International Society for the Study of Chinese Overseas is committed to promoting research on the migration history of overseas Chinese and other issues in modern times, with members all over the world. It holds an international conference every three years in places like San Francisco, Hong Kong, Manila, Taipei, Copenhagen, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. It is a key communication platform for global scholars of overseas Chinese issues.