CLACSO at the IV Latin American Congress of Chinese Studies
Fernanda Pampín , Director of Editorial Production at CLACSO , participated in the closing panel of the IV Latin American Congress of Chinese Studies, held in August 2026 at the National University of La Plata (UNLP), Argentina. The meeting was structured around the main theme: “ China and Latin America Facing the Challenges of Contemporary Global Governance: Building a Global Community of Shared Destiny ” and brought together some 250 specialists and researchers from more than 17 countries in Latin America, China, and other regions.
The Congress coincided with the 30th anniversary of the Center for Chinese Studies (CeChino) of the UNLP.
The central themes and topics addressed included an analysis of China's role in international diplomacy and the shaping of the multipolar order; academic and scientific cooperation, such as the launch and promotion of new inter-university collaboration frameworks and joint science and technology projects between China and the region; economic and trade relations, including discussions on global value chains, infrastructure projects linked to the Belt and Road Initiative, and trade exchange; and perspectives on literature, heritage, tourism, and socio-cultural exchanges to deepen cross-cultural dialogue.
Fernanda Pampín with Gabriel Merino
Fernanda Pampín emphasized that this anniversary of the CeChino at UNLP “is a testament to the sustained effort to decentralize knowledge and build direct bridges between our regions, and it coincides with a moment of profound global transition, where it has become imperative to rethink what we mean when we talk about modernization and development in the Global South. For centuries, our societies have operated under the Eurocentric myth that modernization is synonymous with Westernization. We were taught that there is only one valid model of progress, based on the primacy of capital, social polarization, and the excessive exploitation of nature. However, the trajectory of the relationship between China and Latin America and the Caribbean in recent decades has fractured this historical determinism.”
And he highlighted three milestones that mark this new stage:
“The first milestone is more political and conceptual: the reconfiguration of a fairer multilateralism. In recent decades, the relationship between China and our region has ceased to be a mere exchange of goods and has become a key factor in the reconfiguration of the world order. The emergence of spaces for dialogue in the Global South, strengthened by initiatives such as the BRICS, has opened a historic window of opportunity to challenge traditional multilateralism. We no longer debate only balance of payments; today we discuss civilizational transitions, global governance, systemic planning, and the implications of Chinese modernization for the sovereign development of our countries.”
The second point relates to knowledge: the consolidation of our own channels for dialogue and academic co-creation. For a long time, mutual understanding was mediated by academia in the Global North. A fundamental milestone in recent years has been the breaking of this mediation through direct academic, scientific, and cultural exchange. In the case of CLACSO , this translates into a solid track record of cooperation: from the work of our Working Groups (such as 'China and the Map of World Power' and ' Geopolitics, Regional Integration, and the World System ,' to mention two of the teams most committed to China studies, several members of which participated in this congress), to alliances with different institutions that are part of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, with various universities, and to joint work with Argentine universities such as UBA, UNLP, and UNPAZ, which often also translates into joint research projects with Chinese researchers who engage in dialogue with their Latin American counterparts.
Furthermore, the constant publication and co-editing of works with key Chinese publishers (such as Chongqing Publishing House and the Social Sciences Academic Press of China, to name a few) has allowed us to set aside Western biases and begin to be active co-creators of situated knowledge . Undoubtedly, this point is linked to a more epistemological issue: breaking down interpretive mediations. Historically, Latin America and the Caribbean interpreted Chinese reality through paradigms and narratives constructed in the Global North, which tended to simplify and distort its complexity. One of the most significant recent milestones has been the establishment of a direct, situated, and unmediated dialogue . We cannot design sovereign policies based on external interpretations. The consolidation of direct exchanges between our universities, the work of our CLACSO Working Groups on joint projects, and the co-publications with key Chinese publishers demonstrate that today we are reflecting on each other from our own realities.
Finally, an institutional milestone: the creation of our CLACSO-China Center for Studies and Exchange. As the culmination of this path of institutional maturation, CLACSO celebrated its establishment in 2025. This center was conceived not only as an academic program, but also as a strategic platform for cooperation, actively connecting universities, intellectual networks, and social and political actors committed to the transformation of our societies. It is a space created specifically to generate original thought from the Global South, highlight our shared challenges, and ensure that international cooperation is truly equitable, inclusive, and symmetrical. Ultimately, it represents our commitment to consolidating an alliance for regional and global transformation.
Pampín concluded by emphasizing that “the future of academic cooperation must transcend one-way studies and consolidate itself as a true alliance for social transformation. CLACSO ’s purpose is and will be to enhance research on our shared challenges, promote multilingual publications, strengthen academic training, and, above all, consolidate the network that connects universities, intellectuals, policymakers, and social actors from both regions. The relationship of the next 30 years will not be defined solely by trade agreements; it will also be shaped in our classrooms, our research centers, and through dialogue between our peoples. The extensive path traveled by CLACSO in partnership with China demonstrates that building this critical and situated thinking is not only possible but essential for the future of our region. We do not want to be mere spectators of global change, but rather co-creators of the future. At CLACSO , we are committed to making our CLACSO-China Center for Studies and Exchange the driving force behind this critical thinking.”
