On May 15, 2026, Professor Hou Jianxin, a senior scholar TNU, traveled to Beijing to attend the Academic Symposium on Studying and Implementing General Secretary Xi Jinping’s Important Speech on May 17 and the National Conference for the Release of Outstanding Historical Research Achievements. At the ceremony, the organizer presented certificates to representatives of the award-winning authors. Professor Hou Jianxin served as chief editor of The Evolution of European Civilization (16 volumes), which was successfully selected, showcasing the latest achievements of Chinese historical research in the new era.

Hosted by the Chinese Academy of History, the conference called for outstanding historical works from major research and teaching institutions nationwide over the past decade, ultimately selecting 21 representative achievements. The Evolution of European Civilization (16 volumes) was chosen as a landmark contribution to China’s world history studies. In November 2025, the Chinese Academy of History held a book launch for the work, which was covered by the news channel of CCTV.

As the final outcome of a major national social science fund bidding project, The Evolution of European Civilization (16 volumes) was led by Professor Hou Jianxin, senior professor at Tianjin Normal University, who served as chief expert and general editor. It was completed over 17 years through the collaborative efforts of 11 academic institutions at home and abroad. The work is a key national publication under the 13th Five-Year Plan, a project supported by the National Publication Fund, and one of the “Top Ten Academic Books of 2025” awarded by the Commercial Press. With nearly seven million characters, it is the first systematic and comprehensive study of European civilization authored by Chinese scholars outside the Western world, marking a significant breakthrough in China’s research on European history and a major achievement in building an independent Chinese knowledge system for world history.

Adopting a Chinese perspective, the book introduces the concept of the “meta-rules” of European civilization, identifies its core elements and values, and offers valuable insights for Chinese readers to better understand European history, modernization, and China’s own path to modernization.