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Chinese School of Classical Studies at Athens

The Chinese School of Classical Studies at Athens (Κινεζική Σχολή Κλασικών Σπουδών στην Αθήνα), or CSCSA (中國古典文明研究院), was announced on November 7, 2024, at the first World Conference of Classics in Beijing, an academic summit focused on ancient civilizations, and formally inaugurated in Athens on November 28, 2024. Established by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (中國社會科學院), or CASS, with the Greek Ministry of Culture as primary partner, the CSCSA is registered in Greece as a non-profit legal entity and describes itself as a “non-profit research institution” (非營利性研究機構). The WHOIS record for the CSCSA’s domain lists the registrant as the Chinese Academy of History (中國歷史研究院), a CASS-affiliated body, with a @cass.org.cn contact email, suggesting the institute operates under direct CASS administrative oversight. CSCSA leadership has framed the institute as a vehicle for Xi Jinping’s Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), aiming to “construct an independent Chinese knowledge system” within classical studies. The institute’s activities span archaeological fieldwork in Greece, academic seminars, exhibitions, training programs for young scholars, and a scholarly journal. According to CASS, the CSCSA was established to fulfill understandings previously reached between Chinese and Greek leaders on deepening exchanges and mutual learning between the two civilizations.

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