Beijing
The Berggruen Research Center at Peking University was established in December 2018. Located at the heart of Peking University, the Center engages with outstanding thinkers on a global platform to examine, share, and develop ideas that address planetary challenges in times of profound transformation.
Intellectual themes for research programs are focused on Frontier Science, Technology, and Philosophy; Creative Futures; and Ancient Wisdom and Planetary Governance. The Center funds a fellowship program, supports publications that feature its major research focuses, hosts activities such as lectures, workshops, and symposia, and produces multimedia outreach programs.
Read the Center’s Annual Reports to learn more:
Program Themes
Frontier Science, Technology, & Philosophy
In an era of explosive growth in knowledge, advances in frontier science and technology enable us to understand the world in ways and at speeds never before possible, offering new perspectives on self-understanding and our understanding of the world. To address the challenges posed by these rapid changes, we must harness intellectual resources from around the world, bridge the past with the future, and provide an interdisciplinary path forward. Through this approach, we seek to cultivate philosophical, scientific, and technological concepts that better serve humanity and the broader ecosystem..
Related Projects & Events
Co-becoming: A Planetary View Inspired by East Asian Philosophies
When Science and Humanities Face Life Together
Creative Futures
The rapid development and extensive application of life-altering digital and gene editing technologies, along with their far-reaching effects on humanity and the broader environment, create both opportunities and complications that influence how we imagine and shape the world ahead.
Frontier technologies increasingly shape the themes and methods of production of art and literature. Meanwhile, the reflections of artists, writers, and curators on technology, humanity, Earth, and the future deepen our understanding of the present and broaden imaginaries of what lies ahead.
Related Projects & Events
Imaginaries of Immortality in the Age of AI: China
Science Fiction and Philosophy: An Encounter in the Future
Ancient Wisdom & Planetary Governance
In a time of transformation and crisis, we initiate projects that draw on ancient wisdom to discuss and explore future-oriented global governance that align with the collective interests of humanity and our environment. How do value systems rooted in philosophy, culture, and tradition shape and constrain contemporary global governance concepts and practices? Drawing on relevant research, we reflect on rationality in human relations—from the individual to the societal, from the political to the cultural and ecological—moving towards a truly open, pluralistic, and globally shared value system from multiple perspectives.
Related Projects & Events
China-India: Bridging the Two Worlds
Ongoing Projects
The Global Thinkers Series invites leading thinkers to share their perspectives on the evolution of civilizations, global historical narratives, and philosophical and social theories that have reshaped societies and human thought. Since 2020, we have hosted speakers including Jared Diamond, Wang Gungwu, Peter Singer, and Roger Ames.
The Berggruen Seminar Series provides a platform for Berggruen fellows and partners to share their latest research with the public. Since March 2019, the series has hosted more than 40 events providing opportunities for in-depth discussions between speakers and audiences. The seminar series, held in-person and live-streamed, harnesses the benefits of digital and face-to-face interaction. Seminar topics include “When Sci-Fi Meets Brain Science,” “A Reflection on Speciesism,” “Ten Thousand Things: Cross-morphing and Transmattering,” “Verb Thinking and Neo-Enlightenment,” and “Human Nature and Planetary Metaphysics.”
Featured News
Call for Applications: Peking University Berggruen Research Center Internship Program 2026—2027
Call for Application: Peking University Berggruen Research Center Fellowship 2026—2027
Berggruen Institute China 2025 Annual Report
Living Metaphysics: Process Thought, Buddhist Philosophy, and the Impact of Ontology
Translating Chinese Philosophy
International Conference on “Philosophy of Family as a New Subfield in Professional Philosophy”
When Sci-Fi Meets Brain Science: Baoshu Discusses New Book with Ge Jianqiao
A Reflection on Speciesism
2025–2026 Berggruen Institute China Fellows Announced
III. Machines, Dreams, and Journeying Through Time
II. Natural Code, Body Grammar, and the Allegory of Technology
Imaginaries of Immortality in the Age of AI: China
I. With Ants as Prelude
Aristotle on Emotions and Emotion Proof
Ten Thousand Things: Cross-morphing and Transmattering
Human Nature and Planetary Metaphysics
Verb Thinking and Neo-Enlightenment
Cuiling Issue III
Berggruen Institute China 2024 Annual Report
The Elusive Body: From Daoism to Digital Selves
