I have had the privilege of working with Taihe Institute for several years now. And I’m grateful to be participating with such an august group of scholars to examine and discuss the challenges currently facing the global community. The world is of course facing many challenges and uncertainties at the moment, and many people are feeling insecure or even fearful about their futures. Throughout history in such circumstances, we have seen the outbreak of turmoil and conflict, and indeed, we see this happening today. It is my hope that such discussions like the one we are embarking on, can show the way toward more enlightened leadership and dynamic cooperation among civilizations as we tackle today’s problems. I look forward to the discussions over the coming days and believe that the voices of scholars who seek understanding among civilizations are more important now than ever.