Zhejiang University recently announced a plan to build an Asian civilizations research center by bringing together scholars from various humanities and social science disciplines.

The proposed center will be divided into five sections, namely East Asian civilizations, Southeast Asian civilizations, South Asian civilizations, Central and West Asian civilizations, and comparative studies on disparate civilizations.

The studies will primarily focus on six dimensions, including the integration and co-existence of ideas about civilizations, the preservation and transformation of cultural ideals, the cognition and mutation of languages, and the evolution and protection of cultural and historic relics.

Literature theorists, historians, philosophers, sociologists, archaeologists, and jurists will be involved in the university plan, which is expected to make significant contributions to research into Asia.

Zhejiang University, a leading higher education institute in Asia, aims to use the research center to increase its role in promoting cultural exchange and mutual trust between Asian countries.