International Confucian Association: A Brief Introduction
The International Confucian Association (ICA) is an international non-profit organization dedicated to Confucian studies, bringing together academic groups, institutions, and scholars from around the world. Founded in October 1994 in Beijing, China, and registered with the Ministry of Civil Affairs of China in July 1995, the organization maintains its permanent headquarters located in Beijing. In 2018, the ICA was granted Special Consultative Status by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
As one of China's earliest international organizations, the ICA serves as a global federation of Confucian scholars and institutions. It unites academic organizations and experts studying Confucianism and traditional culture across all five continents, distinguished by its academic rigor, international scope, grassroots involvement, and professional expertise. As of November 2024, the ICA comprises 882 group and individual members spanning 120 countries and regions worldwide.
Mission
The ICA's mission is to study and inherit the essence of Confucianism and other Chinese traditional cultural philosophies, foster its global dissemination and practice, and foster exchanges and facilitate mutual learning between Chinese civilization and other civilizations of the world, in service of building a community with a shared future for humanity, promoting world peace, and advancing human civilization.
History
In the early 1990s, Confucian academic organizations from China, South Korea, Japan, the United States, Germany, Singapore, Vietnam, and the Hong Kong and Taiwan regions joined forces to establish the International Confucian Federation. As China is the birthplace of Confucius and Confucianism, scholars from various countries unanimously chose Beijing as the association's permanent headquarters, making it the first international academic and cultural organization to establish its permanent base in modern China.
Gu Mu served as the ICA's first and second president, followed by Ye Xuanping for the third and fourth terms. Teng Wensheng held the fifth president, while Liu Yandong and Sun Chunlan successively served as the sixth president. The position of council chair was held by Choi Gun-duk (South Korea), Tong Djoe (Singapore), Seo Jung-don (South Korea), Mikhail Titarenko (Russia), Sergei Luganin (Russia), and Fukuda Yasuo (Japan) from the first through sixth terms.
The sixth term's honorary presidents were Teng Wensheng, Wang Meng, Dai Yi, and Zhang Qizhi. Lee Kuan Yew (Singapore) served as the first to fifth honorary council chair. The sixth term's honorary council chairs were Essam Sharaf (Egypt), Tong Djoe (Singapore), Seo Jung-don (South Korea), and Sergei Luganin (Russia).
With strong backing from the Chinese government and the international community, coupled with the joint efforts of its members, the ICA has flourished. Its growing global influence has made significant contributions to preserving and advancing Confucianism and traditional culture while fostering cross-cultural exchange. The organization has expanded from a dozen initial member countries and regions to 120, now counting 104 group members and 778 individual members (including 410 council members, 55 honorary advisors, and 151 advisors).
The positions of advisor and honorary advisor are reserved for distinguished scholars and individuals who have made substantial contributions to the organization. Former honorary advisors include Ji Xianlin, Feng Qiyong, Li Xueqin, Pang Pu, Fang Keli, Liu Shuxian, Fu Xinian, Dai Yi, Jao Tsung-i, Henry Fok Ying-tung, Li Ka-shing, Tsui Tsin-tong, Run Run Shaw, Ann Tse-kai, Florence Chia-Ying Yeh, Ishikawa Tadahisa (Japan), William Theodore de Bary (USA), and Chung-Ying Cheng (USA). Current honorary advisors include Mou Zhongjian, Lou Yulie, Yuan Xingpei, Yang Zhenning, Liu Mengxi, Tang Enjia, Yang Sung-Moo (South Korea), Tan Eng Chaw (Singapore), and Tu Weiming (USA).
Support from Chinese Leadership
The ICA has consistently received strong support and attention from the Chinese Party and state leaders.
At the ICA's inaugural conference in October 1994, during the inaugural conference of the ICA held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, then-President Jiang Zemin met with the participants for a group photo. The organization hosts high-level international academic conferences every five years to commemorate Confucius' birthday, having held seven to date. Former CPPCC National Committee Chairmen Li Ruihuan and Jia Qinglin attended and addressed the opening ceremonies of the first, second, third, and fourth conferences, respectively.
In September 2014, President Xi Jinping attended the opening of the International Conference Commemorating the 2565th Anniversary of Confucius' Birth and the 5th Congress of the International Confucian Association, where he met with delegates and delivered a keynote address. Party and state leaders Wang Huning, Liu Yandong, and Yang Jiechi were also in attendance.
In November 2019, Vice President Wang Qishan attended and addressed the opening ceremony of the International Conference Commemorating the 2570th Anniversary of Confucius and the Sixth Congress of the ICA.
In October 2024, Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, attended the opening of the International Conference Commemorating the 2575th Anniversary of Confucius' Birth and the 7th Congress of the International Confucian Association, where he met with delegates and delivered an address.
Leadership and Organizational Structure
The Seventh ICA Leadership
President
Sun Chunlan (China)
Council chair
Fukuda Yasuo (Japan)
The ICA consists of deliberative bodies and permanent institutions.
The Congress, which convenes every five years under the President's leadership, is the ICA's highest decision-making body. A president, an executive vice president, and several vice presidents lead the organization. The Council includes one Council Chair and several Vice Council Chairs. The Congress of Council Members convened concurrently with the Congress of the ICA, and it is presided over by the Council Chair. The Executive Committee acts as the implementing body of the Congress and the Council. It consists of the President, Council Chair, Executive Vice President, Vice Presidents, Vice Council Chairs, Council member representatives, the Secretary-General, Deputy Secretaries-General, and heads of various committees.
According to the ICA's constitution, the President oversees all operations and chairs the Congress while presiding over Executive Committee meetings between congressional sessions. The Executive Vice President assists the President in their duties. The Council Chair serves as the Chairperson of the Congress of Council Members presides over its meetings, and may co-chair Executive Committee meetings with the President.
The ICA maintains several permanent bodies, including the Secretariat, the Academic Committee, the Publication Committee, the Education and Communication Committee, the International Liaison Committee, the Advisory Liaison Committee, the Confucianism and Enterprise Management Committee, the China Committee, and the Member Liaison Committee. The Secretariat serves as the permanent administrative body, while the committees function as permanent working bodies. The Secretariat is headed by one Secretary-General and several Deputy Secretaries-General. The Secretary-General assists the President and Executive Vice President in handling daily affairs, oversees the Secretariat's operations, and coordinates the work of all committees. The current Secretary-General is Ma Jianfei. Each committee is headed by a director and several deputy directors.
Honorary advisors and advisors, typically distinguished scholars and significant contributors to the ICA's work, are nominated by the President and council chair and approved by the Executive Committee.
Activities and Cultural Initiatives
The ICA's scope of activities includes: Confucian studies research; facilitating exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese civilization and other world civilizations; organizing conferences, forums, lectures, and other events related to Confucianism; offering education, training, and dissemination activities related to Confucianism; compiling and publishing books, journals, and materials related to Confucian studies; developing, maintaining, and serving its membership; compiling and distributing information on international academic and cultural information on Confucianism and related topics, participating in UN ECOSOC and UNESCO activities through its consultative status; collaborating in activities of the ECOSOC and UNESCO under its Consultative Status, and engaging in exchanges and cooperation with international organizations, national governments, and other academic and cultural entities; pursuing other initiatives that advance the development of international Confucian studies.
The ICA has established a series of cultural brands, including the International Conference to Commemorate Anniversary of Confucius' Birth, HEHE Civilization Forum (registered trademark), the International Studies on Confucianism bilingual journal (Chinese and English), the ICA Scholars Program (including ICA Sinology Camp for Young Scholars, Master's Program in Chinese Studies, and financial support for doctoral thesis publication), Friends of ICA, ICA Lectures, Dialogues with Confucian Scholars, Workshops on "Inheritance and Development of Outstanding Chinese Traditional Culture", Popularization Work Symposium, and "Great Way of Knowledge and Action" Lecture Series and Books. Additionally, the ICA collaborates in organizing major academic events, such as the Nishan Forum on World Civilizations, the Conference on Wang Yangming Mind Philosophy, the Kaoting Forum, the Confucianism Frontier Forum, the Yellow River Civilization Forum, and the Zhang Jian Forum.
The ICA continues to expand its collaborative network with international organizations and cultural institutions. To date, it has established strategic partnerships with six prestigious universities - Beijing Normal University, Nankai University, Shandong University, Zhejiang University, Beijing Foreign Studies University, and China University of Political Science and Law, as well as two cultural institutions: the Palace Museum and Phoenix Television. The ICA has also established seven research (training) bases, including the ICA Research Base at Shandong University, Qufu Training Base, Wang Yangming Training Base, Southern Confucius Training Base, Zhu Xi Training Base, Confucianism and Corporate Culture Training Base (Nantong), and the International Chinese Culture Training Center (Guiyang). Additionally, the ICA maintains active partnerships with UNESCO and the ASEAN-China Centre. It also maintains extensive partnerships with academic and cultural institutions across Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, France, Italy, Germany, Egypt, Morocco, and other countries.
Guided by its vision of "building an international organization with a clear mission, self-governance in accordance with the law, sound governance, and efficient operations," the ICA has continuously strengthened its internal development, earning multiple recognitions as a "4A-Grade Social Organization" and "Outstanding Social Organization" in China. In 2018, the ECOSOC granted it Special Consultative Status.
As it embarks on its next chapter, the ICA will actively implement the Global Civilization Initiative, striving to serve as a custodian of Confucianism and excellent traditional culture, a protector of global cultural diversity, and a practitioner of dialogue among civilizations. Through these efforts, the ICA aims to advance universal human values and contribute to building a shared future for humanity.
(Last updated: December 4, 2024)
