We join the University of Edinburgh School of Social and Political Science on March 12th from 1600UTC (check this time in your city) for a presentation by Dr Canglong Wang on nationalism and cosmopolitanism in China. We’ll be live on Facebook and YouTube, or you can join in person at the Chrystal Macmillan Building in Edinburgh or on Zoom (registration required for both).

About the talk

In this talk, I explore the intricate relationship between nationalism and cosmopolitanism and how they influence the discourse and practice of citizenship, especially within Confucian education. I investigate the theoretical underpinnings of Confucian classical education and share insights from the teaching practices at a specific Confucian school, showing how these elements come together to shape students into Confucian cosmopolitan citizens with a strong sense of Chinese national identity. Through this discussion, I offer an insider perspective on how civic identity is nurtured within the Confucian tradition, contributing to the broader shift toward post-orientalist understandings of citizenship. Ultimately, I argue that Confucian education has the potential to enrich global conversations on citizenship by providing nuanced perspectives on the relationship between national identity and global awareness, all within the unique context of China’s political and cultural environment.

About the speaker

Canglong Wang is a Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Brighton. He earned his Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Edinburgh and has previously taught at the University of Hull and Birkbeck, University of London. His research extensively explores the cultural, social, and political implications of the revival of Confucian education in contemporary China. He has a persistent research interest in the topic of Confucianism and citizenship in China. His work has been featured in many leading journals and edited volumes. He is the author of “The Rise of Confucian Citizens in China: Theoretical Reflections and Empirical Explorations” (Routledge, 2023) and “Cultivating the Confucian Individual: The Confucian Education Revival in China” (Palgrave Macmillan, 2023). As a guest editor, Dr. Wang has successfully completed three Special Issues of journals, including “Reconsidering Chinese Citizenship” for Citizenship Studies (2023), “Beyond the State’s Reach? Education and Citizen Making in China” for Social Transformations in Chinese Societies (2023), and “Reinventing Confucian Education in Contemporary China” for China Perspectives (2022).