University of Macerata to Become a Partner Institution in CDA’s Global Network

University of Macerata and its staff provide in-depth knowledge of Peoples Republic of China and offer a broad range of courses and research opportunities dealing with Sino-European relations as well as economics and management. The courses and research are performed in collaboration with institutional partners, in cooperation with industry and within the framework of national and international programmes. In collaboration with Confindustria UniMC offers the Course of Excellence „Doing Buinsess in China“. In a consortium with four other Italian universities with a focus on China (Ca' Foscari University in Venice, University Napels "L'Orientale", University of Bergamo and University Roma Tre) and supported by the Italian Embassy in China the University of Macerata offers the Master in Global Management for China (GMC).

​

University od Macerata’s China Center is a multidisciplinary cluster established in 2012. Amongst others the research and teaching focus of the China Center was in recent years on maritime affairs and law of the sea as well as on brand protection. Every year, Winter and Summer Schools, as well as international conferences and EU-China Workshops are organized, involving scholars, the business community and PhDs.

​

University of Macerata (in collaboration with several other Italian universities) is also a member of the Matteo Ricci Network. On the Chinese side leading Chinese universities like Tsinghua University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Fudan University have joined this Sino-Italian scientific network. In memory of the city’s great son University of Macerata also provides a program for international visiting scholars - the “Collegio Matteo Ricci”

 

Sino-European knowledge exchange – Macerata’s more than 400 years of history with China

​

Macerata’s great son Matteo Ricci – who was called Li Madou by the Chinese – can be seen as a symbol of early bridge building between China and Europe introducing an evidence-based approach. Thanks to his high mathematical, astronomical and geographical knowledge, he stimulated the interest of Chinese intellectuals about Western knowledge. By translating some classical texts of Confucian philosophy into Latin and describing Chinese culture in his works he also introduced China to Europe. He remained in China from 1583 until his death in 1610 in Beijing where he is buried in the Zhalan Cemetery located in the Haidian district which today is home to China’s two leading Universities the Tsinghua University and Peking University. Also one of the world’s most eminent science and business parks “Zhongguancun” is located in the Haidian district. Run by Tsinghua University’s TUS Holding it is also called Beijings “Silicon Valley”.

​

Born in Macerata in 1552 Ricci entered China in 1583. In 1601, Ricci was invited by the Wanli Emperor to become an adviser to the imperial court. He was the first Westerner to be invited into the Forbidden City of Beijing of the Ming era. Ricci became a court mathematician and astronomer and he taught science to Chines scholars. He helped translate many Western works on mathematics and the sciences into Chinese. His maps were eagerly perused by the Chinese, who gained from him their first notion of modern Europe. In return, Ricci sent back to Europe the first modern detailed report on China.

​

In 1602 he would publish his map of the world in Chinese that introduced the existence of the American continents to Chinese geographers. Called the “Map of 10,000 Countries of the Earth” it showed the Pacific Ocean and China at the centre. Together with the Chinese mathematician Xu Guangqui he published the first Chinese edition of Euclid's Elements (幾何原本) in 1607.