The name of China means something to you no matter who you are.

You may not have set foot in the country, you may not have given it a second thought; you may have spent your whole life there, and nowhere else feels like home. No matter your background, the name of China means something to you. Whether people appreciate it or not, the influence of China impacts us all: it is omnipresent from the label on your shirt to the depths of your thoughts.

Three thousand years of unparalleled, continuous civilization has molded this country. It holds a population of 1.4 billion people, the largest on earth. Whether they are concerning the Yangtze river or the Himalayas, the Silk Road or the Trade War, Confucius or the legacy of Mao, questions are being asked: what is China? What is it that defines China? How do we find out? Who do we listen to?

Cambridge University China Forum is a society that fosters such discussions. We are not another society that groups people by where they are from. The desire of CUCF is to encourage conversations and learning about China for all interested students. We invite speakers that are experts in their fields, be it politics, economics, philosophy, international relations, or arts. We encourage intellectual honesty, critical thinking, perspectivism and nuanced approaches towards topics about China because we believe them to need attention from some of the world’s best young minds. We have set up the society as there isn’t one like it, and it is needed, especially now.

Our ground rules are: CUCF wants to provide an environment where opinions are respected and freely expressed with sensitivity. We advocate generosity, understanding and openness when it comes to contentious ideas. Grey areas are our region of concern. Diversity is what we endorse. The loudest may not be the wisest. We look at the larger picture as well as the immediate. We challenge dogmas, ask for reasons, look for evidence and think deeply about correlations.

Throughout the year we will be hosting talks, panels, forum events as well as discussion groups, film viewings and socials.

Whoever you are, CUCF hereby invites you all to come and talk about China.