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PI: Manyuan Long, Department of Ecology and Evolution
Partner Organizations: Peking Union Medical College, Beijing Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang A&F University, Huazhong Agricultural University, Yunnan Normal University
I propose an International Symposium of Functional Innovation Through New Gene Evolution. As a newly arising scientific field with broad impact, our scientific exploration of this topic has been recognized and supported by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship and the Institute for Advanced Study in Berlin. Major figures in the field and related scholars, ranging from the natural history of biological diversity to the history and philosophy of sciences, will be invited to present experimental and theoretical research and to discuss further conceptual development. The goal of the symposium is the synthesis and advancement of the scientific fields of gene evolution, biological diversity and the history and philosophy of science; the shaping of cross-disciplinary advanced study; the promotion of interactions and encounters among scientists and scholars across related disciplines; and the nurturing of next generations of researchers, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. The potential value of the knowledge and findings on functional innovation in gene evolution for application in medicine, agriculture and environmental sciences will also be discussed. The symposium will take advantage of the fact that a number of Chinese scholars have developed internationally leading research projects in this field and in the history and philosophy of sciences.
PI: Lewis Shi, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Partner Organizations: Peking University Third Hospital
We will collaborate with Peking University's Peking University Third Hospital (PUTH) in presenting our 3rd orthopaedic surgery conference. Our previous conferences were held in 2017 and 2018, and since then there have been many advances in the field of sports medicine and arthroscopic surgery. Conference faculty would be from UChicago and PUTH, and attendees would be Chinese orthopaedic surgeons.
PI: Mitchell Posner, Department of Surgery
Partner Organizations: Peking Union Medical College Hospital
This will be the 12th year for this important conference. Since COVID this has become a significant conference for the international cancer community. We had the conference last year (2025) and it was a resounding success. We made a concerted effort to increase the audience and we were successful, needing to use the larger conference room at the center. We had the former Vice Minister of Health, Huang Jiefu speak. We have been successful in having distinguished speakers from all disciplines associated with the care of the cancer patient—Surgery, Medical Oncology, Radiation Therapy, Interventional Radiology, and Basic Science fields. The speakers are so prestigious and excellent speakers that this year we will either keep the conference attendance at the same level (and have the conference at the center) or if we increase the number of attendees we may need to find a larger venue. We have contacted a media company that will live stream the talks and this will be our 4th year of using an AI system for speaker translation. We will continue to use on site translators this year as well. The theme of this year's conference will be treatment of liver cancer in the era of immune targeted treatment. We will invite a surgical research resident and fellow to present at the conference and have on site clinical exposure to the hepatobiliary surgery service at PUMCH.
PI: Jonathan Lio, Department of Medicine
Partner Organizations: Wuhan University School of Medicine, China Medical Board, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Zhongnan Hospital, Renmin Hospital, Peking University, Fudan University, Jiaotong University, Zhejiang University, Central-South University
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly being adopted in postgraduate medical education in China, with increasing use of large language models, simulation platforms, and intelligent assessment tools. While recent efforts have focused on demonstrating AI use cases, many institutions now face a more difficult challenge: moving from isolated pilots to coherent, sustainable educational programs. Medical educators and teaching offices often lack shared frameworks for curriculum design, assessment, faculty development, and governance in AI-enabled education. Building on longstanding collaboration between the University of Chicago and Wuhan University, this proposed conference will focus on the institutionalization of AI in postgraduate medical education. Through applied case studies, hands-on workshops, and comparative perspectives from China and the United States, participants will examine practical approaches to integrating AI into curricula and assessment systems, supporting faculty capability, and establishing program-level oversight. The conference aims to strengthen institutional capacity, reduce fragmentation in AI adoption, and support leaders in education in developing sustainable, high-quality AI-enabled medical education programs, including the development of a case compendium documenting program-level AI implementation.
PI: Anthony Reder, Department of Neurology
Partner Organizations: Xiangya Hospital, Central South University
Advanced neuroscience research, clinical diagnosis, and treatment are essential and critical for CNS disease management. An inflammatory storm in the brain causes cognitive disorders in multiple sclerosis, post-stroke depression, some neurodegeneration, and COVID encephalopathy. Cognitive disorders in neuroscience have been an important research and clinical area for both UChicago and Chinese clinicians, researchers, and educators. We have played an important role in the 2025 Annual Sino-American Symposium: Diagnosis and Treatment of Major Mental Illness and Neurological Disorders hosted by Central South University Xiangya Medical College (May 24–25, 2025, Changsha). We significantly promoted education, communication, and established collaboration with Xiangya Medical College, one of the prestigious medical colleges in China. We are invited to attend onsite clinical consultation, education, research, and the annual neuroscience symposium in May 2027 in Changsha, China. We hope to continue our collaboration on advanced diagnosis, research, and therapy in neurocognitive and neuro-immunological disorders, onsite or remotely. We will share resources in clinical aspects and the research area and aim for publications. These will bridge and enrich the advanced education, clinical experience, and research in neuroscience for US and Chinese physicians, scientists, and medical students/postdoctoral fellows.
PI: Tongji Philip Qian, Department of Art History
Partner Organizations: Peking University School of Arts
I propose to receive funding to continue the University of Chicago Center in Beijing's collaboration with Peking University School of Arts in 2026–2027 for events and projects relating to the 5th Annual Chinese Contemporary Art and the World Symposium. Because of UChicago's inaugural joint effort with PKU for the 4th Symposium—slated to take place in March 2026—the number of submissions from participants for the Call for Papers increased tenfold compared to previous years. As a result, it will be an exceptional opportunity to co-host the Contemporary Art Symposium again at the UChicago Center in Beijing in March 2027, and to document and archive such an endeavor through two publications: one academic symposium proceedings volume with essays from key speakers, and one artist book including visual commentaries from invited artists who have directly engaged with the Center in Beijing. Additionally, if the gallery program is available and open for 2026–2027, it will be my honor to shape an exhibition of works by the symposium artists.
PI: Zhiying Ma, Department of Comparative Human Development
Partner Organizations: Renmin University of China
Persons with intellectual, developmental, and psychosocial disabilities are often placed in institutions or segregated care settings, based on assumptions that they are unable to live safely or independently in the community. Over the past several decades, international agreements and national laws have increasingly affirmed that disabled people have the right to live, work, and participate fully in their communities. Yet in practice, community-based services remain uneven, underdeveloped, and difficult to access, leaving many families with few viable alternatives to institutional care. This project supports an international workshop to be held at the University of Chicago Beijing Center that brings together disabled self-advocates, family caregivers, practitioners, policymakers, and scholars from China, the United States, and beyond to examine what "community living" actually means in different social, political, and economic contexts. Rather than treating deinstitutionalization as a simple policy goal, the workshop focuses on lived experiences: how disabled people navigate everyday life, how families manage care responsibilities, and how policies and service systems shape real choices and constraints. China provides an especially urgent context for this conversation. With tens of millions of people living with intellectual, developmental, and psychosocial disabilities, families face growing anxiety about long-term care, particularly as parents age and public support remains limited. The workshop will combine public discussions, site visits to community-based service organizations in Beijing, and smaller collaborative sessions to foster dialogue, comparison, and mutual learning. Beyond the event itself, the project aims to lay the groundwork for future collaborative research and public engagement, including a webinar series for broader audiences.
PI: Christopher Weber, Department of Surgery
Partner Organizations: Peking University Health Science Center, Capital Medical University, Nanjing Agricultural University, Zhejiang University, China Agricultural University, Soochow University, Chinese Academy of Sciences
The digestive system is a cornerstone of human health, governing not only nutrient assimilation but also immune function, metabolic regulation, and microbiome symbiosis that impact health and disease of almost all organ systems. Its dysfunction underpins a burden of diseases, from inflammatory disorders to cancers. Advancing this field demands a unique synthesis of deep mechanistic insight from basic science and rigorous translational application in clinical practice. UChicago is a global leader in digestive disease–related research, training, and care. We propose a symposium to convene leaders of digestive disease research and treatment at UChicago and across China. This forum will forge a dialogue between pioneers in gastrointestinal basic and translational science and clinical service. This will provide a platform to showcase cutting-edge digestive research from both parties and update the audience on the advances of digestive disease research and care. By bringing both parties together, focused collaboration between UChicago and elite Chinese institutions will be forged, and by personnel exchange, we aim to catalyze training of a new generation of digestive disease researchers and gastroenterologists with global perspectives.
PI: Yueran Zhang, Department of Sociology
Partner Organizations: Tsinghua Institute for Advanced Study in Humanities and Social Sciences (TIAS), University of Copenhagen, Peking University, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), Zhejiang University, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Fudan University
A two-day symposium, titled "The Second Annual Symposium on Historical Social Sciences: Reimagining the World from the Global and Transnational", will be convened on July 10–11, 2026 at the UChicago Beijing Center in partnership with the Tsinghua Institute for Advanced Study in Humanities and Social Sciences (TIAS). Bringing together leading and up-and-coming scholars based in academic institutions in the U.S., Europe, mainland China, Hong Kong, and Singapore—from such diverse disciplines as sociology, history, political science, international relations, history of political thought, literature, and area studies—the symposium will explore how historically minded social scientists can reconceptualize and reenvision the world from a transnational and global lens in ways that both advance important theoretical agendas and address pressing contemporary concerns. The symposium will provide a much-needed space for social scientists to engage in interdisciplinary conversations on the many possibilities and challenges of conducting global and transnational studies. About 20 invited participants will feature in two days of keynote presentations and themed panels. The symposium will also be open to the public so that interested scholars and students can participate in the discussion as audience members.
PI: Xiaoxi Zhuang, Department of Neurobiology
Partner Organizations: Wenzhou Medical University
Neuroscience represents one of the most exciting fields in recent decades. At the same time, the neuroscience community at UChicago has also grown significantly since the establishment of the Neuroscience Institute in 2014. However, we are still relatively weak in translational neuroscience. In a new initiative, the Neuroscience Institute is actively engaged with clinical departments in organizing inter-departmental faculty hires. Research on neural circuit modulation is a top priority because we have existing strength in that area already and it is one of the most exciting areas in translational neuroscience. China is emerging as a leader in artificial intelligence, brain-computer interface, and clinical use of neural circuit modulation. The proposed symposium will bring together 40 scientists and clinicians from UChicago, other Chicago-area universities, other universities in the US, Europe, and China. It will take advantage of UChicago's unique strength in this research area; we will learn from top experts throughout the world, promote collaborations, form a synergistic vision, and enhance UChicago's visibility and influence in China and the world.
PI: Renslow Sherer, Department of Medicine
Partner Organizations: Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Wuhan University
Since the inception of the reciprocal residency education program in 2014, the partnership between the University of Chicago Medicine (UChicago Medicine) and Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) has continued to deepen through sustained residency exchanges and educational collaboration. To date, 66 residents have directly benefited from this program, gaining firsthand clinical observation experience in diverse healthcare settings. These experiences have fostered a growing community of medical professionals engaged in meaningful dialogue on residency training standards and best practices, clinical competency development, evaluation methods, clinical ethics, patient communication, and faculty development. These exchanges support a bidirectional flow of knowledge. While China's national residency standardization initiative has heightened interest in learning from U.S. training models to strengthen quality and consistency, U.S. participants equally benefit from exposure to China's approaches to medical education, interdisciplinary care, and patient engagement within a rapidly evolving healthcare system. Building on this strong foundation, we propose continuing the residency exchange program for the 2026–2027 academic year, with ongoing participation from both PUMCH and Wuhan University.
PI: J. Michael Millis, Department of Surgery
Partner Organizations: Peking Union Medical College Hospital
PUMCH, the top-ranked hospital affiliated with PUMC—the top-ranked medical school in China—has had a long relationship with the University of Chicago School of Medicine and Hospital that dates back more than 100 years. Prior to COVID and now for several years after COVID, PUMC sends 6–10 medical students to UChicago Medicine for a month to observe health care at the University of Chicago. In reciprocity, they will host UChicago medical students for two weeks at PUMC/PUMCH. This would be clinical observerships in the department of our medical students' choosing. The students would be expected to prepare a brief report on how they witnessed differences and similarities in the patient care model and clinical research, if applicable, from what they have seen in the US.
PI: Teng Ge, Department of Sociology
Partner Organizations: Duke Kunshan University, Peking University
This project investigates how organizations in rising powers manage intraorganizational conflicts within culturally and nationally diverse teams. Although prior scholarship identifies various integrative mechanisms intended to facilitate conflict resolution, these approaches often fall short in practice because team members remain deeply anchored in their own values, repertoires of knowledge, and professional routines. Such persistent tensions often undermine coordination and collective performance. Using professional sports teams in China as the empirical setting—contexts where athletes from multiple cultural and national backgrounds work together under high-performance demands—the project investigates an alternative approach to fostering collaboration in organizations in rising powers. Drawing on ethnographic observation and interviews, it examines how teams cultivate functional working relationships despite cultural frictions and political sensitivities. Ultimately, the project advances theories of organizational conflict and transnational sociology by specifying the organizational conditions that enable cross-national collaboration to emerge even when underlying conflicts cannot be fully resolved.
PI: Yeongjin (Yasmin) Cho, Department of Music
Partner Organizations: Tiantai Monastery, Hubei, China
It is rare to see Buddhist monastics performing in a symphony orchestra or in a synchronized dance troupe; it is equally unusual to find a nun acting as an "influencer" live-streaming product sales to support her temple. Traditionalists might denounce both activities as examples of "pseudo-Buddhism," but far from being so, these practitioners belong to the Tiantai lineage, a Chinese Buddhist tradition with roots spanning over a millennium. While Tiantai Monastery in Hubei, China, had a growing reputation as a center for Chan Buddhist practice, the early 2020s marked a radical shift: the majority of its young monastics, including the abbot, relocated to Madagascar. There, they assembled a full-scale orchestra and constructed a dedicated theater. From this African base, the Tiantai monastics have launched performance-based outreach to Europe and the US. Their mission is rooted in the belief that art serves as a universal language capable of transcending ethnic, linguistic, and cultural divides. The proposed project examines the uncanny intersections of art, technology, and Buddhism within China and its transnational engagements. As a follow-up to preliminary fieldwork already conducted in Madagascar, the current phase of research involves visiting Tiantai Monastery in China to document the transcontinental relocation process, the lives of the remaining monastics, and the digital activities of "influencer" monastics and their domestic followers.
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