摘要：It gives me a great pleasure to speak before you for the opening remark at the second dean’s forum on social science. Last year, t

From Beijing to Hong Kong: Routs of Collaboration

Good morning, distinguished guests, colleagues, friends.

It gives me a great pleasure to speak before you for the opening remark at the second dean’s forum on social science. Last year, the four deans of the school of social sciences at Tsinghua University, Beijing University, Hong Kong University and Chinese University in Hong Kong, launched the inaugurate forum in Tsinghua. As the former dean of the school of social sciences at Tsinghua University, I was invited by the new dean Professor Wang Tianfu to hosted the first forum. I was very grateful to many of you from Hong Kong to travel long distances to Beijing to share your ideas and wisdoms, most importantly, your passion for social sciences development in China and beyond.

This time, we are going to have the second forum in Hong Kong, at a time of unprecedented complexity and fluidity. The challenges of current world do not respect jurisdictional boundaries. Issues like public health crises, digital governance, international trade and conflicts, and social inequality are sprawling, interconnected puzzles. To solve them, we need a multi-focal lens. The social scientists in Beijing might have been more interested in macro-societal impacts of social issues on a national scale. On the other hand, our colleges in Hong Kong may like to study the micro-dynamics of community in one of the world's most vertical cities. Alone, our pictures are incomplete. But together, we can create a holistic model—a model that can inform policy from the national level down to the district level. This synergy allows us to move beyond diagnosis and toward effective, scalable solutions. By sharing data, methodologies, and perspectives, we turn complexity from a daunting obstacle into a solvable equation.

This brings me to my second point: the enrichment of our collective intellectual capital. Societies in Mainland of China and Hong Kong possess distinct, yet complementary, intellectual traditions and global connections.

Hong Kong, as a global hub, has long been a bridge between China and the world. Its academics are steeped in international literature, common law principles, and global comparative studies. They ask questions framed by a unique blend of Chinese context and global discourse. Mainland scholars, on the other hand, possess a deep, granular understanding of the Party's policies, the historical trajectory of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and the realities of governing a continent-sized country of 1.4 billion people.

When these two worlds of knowledge collide in a laboratory of ideas, the results are transformative. This isn't a one-way street of knowledge transfer; it is a dynamic, two-way exchange that elevates the work of everyone involved. It prevents intellectual insularity and ensures that Chinese social science remains rigorous, relevant, and resonant on the world stage.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, this collaboration is vital for forging a resilient and harmonious future. Social scientists are, at our core, students of society. We study the fabric that binds people together—the shared values, the common narratives, the sense of identity and belonging.

The proposition before us is simple, yet its implications are profound: the collaboration and exchange between social scientists in Tsinghua and Hong Kong are not just beneficial; they are absolutely essential. This is not merely an academic exercise. It is a strategic imperative for three critical reasons: navigating unprecedented complexity, enriching our collective intellectual capital, and forging a more resilient and harmonious future.

Let us ensure that the chapter we write together is one of unparalleled innovation, profound understanding, and shared prosperity.

Thank you.

来源：彭凯平教授一点号1