Confucian studies in Thailand are gaining renewed momentum through research collaborations, youth-focused initiatives and international partnerships, as highlighted during the 7th meeting of the Executive Committee of the International Confucian Association (ICA), held recently in Xiamen, China.
In his remarks at the meeting, former deputy prime minister Phinij Jarusombat praised the ICA’s growing influence in advancing Confucian research and fostering intercultural dialogue.
He cited the successful “Harmonious Civilisation Seminar 2025”, held in Bangkok in June, as a prime example of Thailand’s active role in promoting Confucian thought across Southeast Asia.
“This meeting allows us to reflect on the past, assess the present, and plan for the future,” Mr Phinij said. “The Bangkok seminar vividly demonstrated how Confucian wisdom can engage with global challenges through the exchange of ideas across cultures.”
The 2025 seminar, themed “Confucian Philosophy and Global Civilisational Dialogue”, attracted hundreds of participants from political, academic and business sectors across Asia and beyond.
Attended by high-level representatives, including ICA President Sun Chunlan and senior Thai officials, the event established a platform for in-depth exchanges on Confucian values such as benevolence, sincerity and harmony.
Discussions explored how these principles could inform responses to pressing global issues, including climate change, social fragmentation and geopolitical tensions.
Delegates also examined Confucian perspectives on education, youth responsibility and corporate ethics, with the seminar fostering new networks of cross-cultural understanding.
Mr Phinij said the seminar underscored the vitality of Confucianism in contemporary society.
Rather than dwelling on the past, the discussions focused on how Confucian moral wisdom can guide areas such as business ethics, family education and community governance — even extending to frontier fields like artificial intelligence and digital ethics.
Core Confucian tenets such as “Do not do to others what you do not wish for yourself” and “Harmony without uniformity” were presented as valuable frameworks for global governance and international relations in today’s fragmented world.
The seminar’s messages resonated widely through extensive coverage by Thai and international media. Its emphasis on “harmony” inspired young people to reflect on how traditional culture can coexist with modern civilisation. Mr Phinij noted that although Confucian wisdom is rooted in China, it can flourish within Thailand’s cultural landscape, which blends Buddhist and traditional values.
Drawing from Thailand’s experience, Mr Phinij presented two proposals to strengthen global Confucian scholarship and cooperation. He proposed establishing a Thai-Chinese International Confucian Research Centre to systematically translate and interpret classical Confucian texts while training a new generation of bilingual scholars versed in both Thai and Chinese cultures.
The initiative would also integrate Confucian values — including filial piety, compassion, loyalty, honesty, propriety, justice and self-reflection — into Thai education.
Thailand’s role as a regional tourism and cultural hub could further be leveraged to host more intercultural events, including future Harmonious Civilisation Seminars, positioning the country as a key node for Confucian exchange in Southeast Asia.
Mr Phinij also advocated for a rotating regional hosting mechanism within the ICA to better reflect global diversity and incorporate perspectives from Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas.