SJTU Prof. Manuel Perez Garcia Highlights Transnational Civilizational Dialogue in Digital Era at CGTN Roundtable

Professor Manuel Perez Garcia, tenured Associate Professor at SJTU’s School of Humanities, contributed unique perspectives on China-Spain civilizational dialogue during the CGTN roundtable “Civilization Dialogue amid Diplomatic Wave”.

Reflecting on over 2,000 years of exchange since the Silk Road linked Chang’an and city of Tarraco, today's Tarragona, Prof. Perez Garcia highlighted shared legacies in global trade during the early modern period, where products from Spain and China fueled mutual market integration, urging audiences to move beyond stereotypes through intercultural dialogue. Considering future development, he noted, “One of the main points of these intercultural civilizations is to examine deeper the intercultural changes, acknowledging the openness of a world which is globalized.”

Addressing youth engagement with micro-trends like TikTok, Perez Garcia acknowledged technology’s value while cautioning against overreliance, He characterized the current era as one marked by “global turmoil”, yet pointed out a concurrent and powerful trend: the widespread embrace of circulation - “the circulation of people, technology or global commodities”. This reality, Perez Garcia argued, transcends traditional national frameworks and is fundamentally transnational in nature.

In his closing message, he advocated for the power of spontaneous knowledge, emphasizing that true learning arises when it sparks curiosity. “Artificial intelligence is a tool, but authentic learning requires reclaiming natural knowledge processes. I ask my students: when was the last time you visited a library to physically read a book?” He concluded with a compelling call to action: we should match new technologies with natural knowledge acquisition. True progress lies in creating an equilibrium - using innovation to enhance, not replace, the human capacity for critical reflection.

Click here for the full interview: https://www.cgtn.com/tv/replay?id=CdbBJAA

About Prof. Manuel Perez Garcia

Manuel Perez Garcia is a tenured Associate Professor at SJTU’s School of Humanities and Distinguished Researcher at Universidad Pablo de Olavide (Spain). He holds a PhD from the European University Institute (Florence) and is the first ERC grantee fully based in China. As founder of the Global History Network in China and director of the ERC-funded GECEM Project, his work focuses on global market integration, transnational history, and Sino-European encounters.

Written by: The International Office

Photography Source: https://www.cgtn.com/tv/replay?id=CdbBJAA