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  From March 26 to 28, 2025, an academic delegation led by Vice Deans Professor Li Guangyi and Professor Tang Jie visited Ca’  Foscari University of Venice in Italy. During their visit, the delegation was received by Professor Tiziana Lippiello, Rector of the university, and conducted substantive discussions with faculty members from the Department of Asian and North African Studies.

Ca’ Foscari University ranks first in Italy and second in Europe for the scale of its Sinology research and teaching. It offers numerous China-related courses. Currently, over 1,800 undergraduate and graduate students are enrolled in Chinese language programs, demonstrating a solid foundation and a promising trend for intercultural dialogue and collaboration.

On the afternoon of March 26, the delegation visited the Department of Asian and North African Studies, a leading hub for Chinese studies at Ca’ Foscari University. They were welcomed by Professor Laura De Giorgi, Head of the Department, along with faculty members Professors Attilio Andreini, Maddalena Barenghi, Andrea Revelant, and Nicoletta Pesaro, for in-depth communication.

Vice Dean Professor Li Guangyi highlighted the productive exchanges between the two institutions and expressed strong enthusiasm for the forthcoming cooperation agreement. Professor Xiao Xinyao then provided an overview of the Liberal Arts College at Chongqing University, detailing its development, educational philosophy, and faculty strengths. In response, Professor De Giorgi presented the department’s academic structure, curriculum design, and international initiatives, fostering deeper mutual understanding and paving the way for future collaboration.

The session concluded with lively discussions on potential research partnerships, student exchange programs, and discipline development, with both sides recognizing ample opportunities for sustained academic cooperation.

On the morning of March 28, the delegation was honored to meet with Professor Tiziana Lippiello, Rector of Ca’ Foscari University and a distinguished sinologist. Professor Lippiello holds the distinction of being the first Italian scholar to produce Italian translations of the Confucian classics The Analects and The Doctrine of the Mean. With a longstanding dedication to fostering Sino-Western cultural dialogue, she has made exceptional contributions to promoting Chinese culture and arts in Italy - achievements that earned her the prestigious Orchid Award from China International Communications Group, of which she was the inaugural recipient.

Under Professor Lippiello’s visionary leadership, Ca’ Foscari has emerged as Italy’s preeminent institution for Chinese language and cultural studies. During the meeting, she expressed the university’ s keen interest in expanding collaboration with Chongqing University, proposing to explore new cooperative dimensions and jointly establish an innovative platform for cultural and academic exchange.

Following this, the delegation engaged in substantive talks with Professor Chiara Saccon, Vice Rector for International Affairs at Ca’ Foscari, regarding concrete academic cooperation. The parties explored various initiatives including undergraduate exchange programs, summer school opportunities, and visiting scholar arrangements. Significant progress was made toward mutual credit recognition, with both institutions committing to launch their first joint summer program in the coming academic year. Professor Saccon expressed particular enthusiasm for the Liberal Arts College’s distinctive approach, praising its emphasis on classical education, innovative pedagogy, and its unique rural service-learning component.

This collaboration builds upon the rich historical ties between two of the world’s great civilizations. China and Italy have maintained centuries of cultural exchange and mutual appreciation, a tradition that continues to flourish through academic partnerships. As China and Italy celebrate 55 years of diplomatic relations, this visit by Chongqing University representatives to Ca’ Foscari represents a meaningful continuation of this legacy. The alignment between institutions is particularly fortuitous: Chongqing University’s Liberal Arts College, with its collegiate system and focus on comparative classical studies, complements perfectly Ca’ Foscari’s Department of Asian and North African Studies, which stands as one of Europe’s premier centers for Sinological research. This partnership promises to open new avenues for cross-cultural academic exchange and mutual understanding.