Address by He Jiani

Distinguished teachers, dear students, good morning!

I am He Jiani, Assistant Professor in the Department of Diplomacy at the School of International Studies, Peking University. As an ordinary faculty member, and as someone who sat in the same place as you eighteen years ago as a student, I would like to extend my warmest congratulations and welcome to all of you! Congratulations and welcome to becoming members of the School of International Studies, and even more so, congratulations on embarking on a new chapter in both your academic and personal journeys!

Whether you are undergraduates, master’s students, or doctoral students; whether you come from different parts of China or from across the world; whether today is your very first encounter with Peking University or whether you already have a long-standing bond with it—please, at this moment, look around at your fellow students, friends, and teachers. Set aside, for a while, the strangeness of entering a new environment, the uncertainty about the unknown, and the subtle pressures of competition. Instead, let us joyfully celebrate our gathering here and sincerely bless one another as we begin this new stage of life together.

What does PKU and the School of International Studies look like in your mind? To me, Peking University is a place of great historical depth. It is a higher institution where knowledge is transmitted and scholarship is pursued, but also a symbol of immense significance in both Chinese and world history. The eminent figures, the resounding voices, the inspiring ideas that have emerged here hold an irreplaceable place in shaping the self-understanding of the Chinese people and in the world’s collective concerns. Our School of International Studies shares this same breadth. Its curriculum and research fields span across time and space, encompassing the great tides of war and peace, probing into the past, present, and future of nations. I believe this vision also aligns with your expectations of PKU and SIS—and perhaps that is why you chose to be here.

Indeed, such a broad vision gives us the courage and ambition to examine the threads of world history and to embrace the mission of “loving our country and caring for the world.” I have no doubt you will all cultivate such breadth of vision. Yet I would also like to remind you not to forget that within the vastness of “international relations” lies the presence of “people”—people like you and me—whose existence transforms lofty concepts into concrete concern for human lives. How do we realize this? Different times and professions give different answers. As students engaged in academic study and research, I think we can strive to do three things.

First, see real people and conduct research with humanistic care.
The field of international relations contains an ocean of knowledge. To build a strong foundation, students often begin with classical theories, key historical events, and major national policies. But behind these are real, flesh-and-blood individuals with vivid life experiences and stories. Some of them stand at the center of political stages and are household names; but many more remain blurred, marginalized, or even forgotten. They should not be overlooked. To study war and peace without attending to those who lived amid conflict is incomplete. To study diplomacy without acknowledging the ordinary people who build bridges of communication is to miss the essence. To analyze world order without recognizing those far from the center of great power politics is to ignore reality. Studying international relations requires us not only to see the forest, but also the individual trees—each with its unique form, growth, and life. Seeing the people within international relations, seeing the real people, allows us to open a more genuine perspective on the field and equips us with greater humanistic care when we encounter the real world.

Second, stay close to your research subjects and do research with warmth.
My research focuses on the history of China’s foreign relations, primarily based on archival materials. To many, this work amid piles of dusty documents seems the coldest of all. Yet my experience is the opposite. Within those long-past papers, I find their authors and subjects vividly alive: like you and me, they persevered, erred, felt anger, joy, passion, or helplessness. These details and emotions are not “noise” in research; they are what make history and reality truly moving. We need to strip away prejudice, but we cannot—and should not—strip away humanity and empathy. When I sense their emotions, history no longer feels distant; it reverberates right beside us. This makes our scholarship more human, and perhaps brings us closer to truth.

Doing research with warmth does not mean abandoning objectivity or neutrality. On the contrary, precisely because we can sensitively perceive the complexity of human nature and emotions, we can avoid rigidity and one-sidedness, and gain fuller, deeper perspectives. Different societies generate different “temperatures”; there is no universal standard. To understand such diversity, complexity, and change is itself one of the core purposes of international relations research.

Third, how do we see real people and conduct research with warmth? We must first be real people ourselves.
To study at PKU is not only to learn knowledge but also to learn how to live as a person. Undergraduates should not reduce themselves to GPA machines; graduate students should not turn into research robots. Real life can never be calculated through narrow self-interest. Look at your classmates and friends: each has their own unique brilliance. To be a real person is to allow yourself and others to make mistakes—and learn to forgive; to allow for different thoughts and pursuits—and respect such diversity; to allow uncertainty in life—and yet hold fast to your true self within it. To be real is not to be flawless, but to accept human complexity and life’s diversity with honesty. Approach yourself and others with this authentic, open, and inclusive mindset; understand China and the world through it. Be rational yet sincere, steady yet composed, in the face of study and life.

Finally, once again, congratulations to all of you. I wish you a fulfilling academic journey and vibrant life here at the School of International Studies, Peking University! As we look up at the starry seas of international relations, may we always hold fast to the warmth and authenticity of humanity, and approach others with compassion and understanding.

Thank you!