Peking university, November 7, 2025: Co-sponsored by Peking University, the Beijing Municipal Education Commission, and the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies, Beijing Forum 2025 will officially open on November 7 at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse.



Established in 2004, the Forum has focused each year on major issues of the present and shared challenges of global society. At a new crossroads in the development of human civilization, participants come together to engage in dialogue and explore pathways toward the future.

To date, more than 7,000 distinguished guests from over 80 countries and regions have taken part in this academic event, including government leaders, renowned scholars, and representatives from international institutions. Through the exchange of ideas and cultures, the Forum seeks to advance mutual learning and shared development among diverse civilizations.

This year’s Forum will be held from November 7-9 under the theme “The Harmony of Civilizations and Prosperity for All: Civilizational Coexistence in the Age of Digital Intelligence.” It brings together leading thinkers from multiple fields to discuss civilizational development in the context of technological breakthroughs, address new questions raised by emerging technologies, and examine opportunities and challenges across diverse academic and social domains. The Forum aims to provide new perspectives and innovative pathways for civilizational change and paradigm evolution.

The theme chosen for the first Beijing Forum, “The Harmony of Civilizations and Prosperity for All,” has been retained as the overarching theme for each succeeding forum, which is a testament to the event’s unwavering advocacy of harmony and prosperity for all members of the global community. The forum believes that the convergence of different civilizations in a peaceful environment has always been the fundamental driving force and guarantee for the progress of human society.

The first Beijing Forum was held in 2004. Over the past two decades, its international influence has continued to grow, providing an open and inclusive platform for dialogue, academic exchange, and shared progress among civilizations. With “The Harmony of Civilizations and Prosperity for All” as its overarching theme, each year’s Forum adopts a distinct annual theme in response to global developments.

In an interconnected world, civilizations learn from one another and grow together. At this academic gathering, diverse ideas meet, perspectives collide, and new insights resonate. Scholars and thought leaders from around the globe are contributing wisdom and creativity to the progress of human society through civilizational dialogue and innovative exploration.

This year's Beijing Forum features 13 sub-forums, 2 thematic forums, and 1 overseas forum.

Opening Ceremony and Keynote Speakers: 

Opening Ceremony:
Moderator:
He Guangcai	Secretary of the CPC Committee of Peking University; Chair of the University Council
Speaker:
Gong Qihuang	President of Peking University, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
Chey Tae-won (video address)	Global Chairman of SK Group, Republic of Korea
Yu Yingjie	Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee; Secretary of the Education Work Committee
Xu Qingsen	Member of the CPC Leading Group of the Ministry of Education and Vice Minister of Education
Keynote Speakers:
Moderator:
Kim Yoo-seok	President of the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies
Speakers:
Michael Levitt	2013 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, Professor at Stanford University
Park Jin	Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea; Member of the 16th, 17th, 18th, and 21st National Assembly
Michael Spence	President and Provost, University College London
Tan Eng Chye	President of National University of Singapore
Cheng Lesong	Peking University Boya Distinguished Professor; Chair of Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies

Source: PKU WeChat (Chinese)