On December 16, 2022, the Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade (IFAT), Tongji University, and the National University of Public Service (NUPS) organized a conference on “Comparison of Chinese and European Modernization.” On behalf of IFAT, Tamás Péter Baranyi, deputy director for strategy, delivered the welcome address. The welcoming speech of the National University of Public Service was delivered by Péter Krisztián Zachar, vice-dean for International Affairs, Faculty of Public Governance and International Studies. Also, Zhenming Zhong, vice-dean of the School of Politics and International Relations, at Tongji University, delivered welcome address.
The keynote speech of the conference was given by Ferenc Bánhidi, former vice president of the Hungarian National Communications Authority, senior researcher of the China Strategy Research Group, National University of Public Service, who gave an overview of the modernization of the Hungarian telecommunication sector and compared it with the Chinese modernization experience.
The first panel of the conference was moderated by Gergely Salát, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade. Xinye Wu, Professor at School of Politics and International Relations, Tongji University, examined the role of non-governmental organizations in stability discourse and stabilization in contemporary China. Csaba Moldicz, head of the Centre for International Economy, Mathias Corvinus Collegium reviewed the difficulties of research cooperation between China and Central Europe. Hu Li, assistant professor at the School of Politics and International Relations, Tongji University gave a presentation on China’s path of human rights development. Finally, Csilla Horváthné Varga Polyák, researcher at the Research Centre for Chinese Public Administration, Economy and Society Research Center and at the China Strategy Research Group of the National University of Public Service compared the Hungarian and Chinese paths of economic modernization.
The second panel of the conference was moderated by Professor Lilei Song, School of Politics and International Relations, Tongji University. Professor Lei Sun from School of Politics and International Relations, Tongji University argued that the aspirations of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) must be viewed from a moral perspective. Viktor Eszterhai, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade, outlined the main challenges for the modernization of the EU. Xiaoyuan Li, Assistant Professor at the School of Politics and International Relations, Tongji University, provided an overview of China’s poverty reduction efforts and the characteristics of its programs. Finally, Ferenc Harmati, assistant professor at Pázmány Péter Catholic University, presented the European modernization process from a historical perspective.