NUCI British Director at Biennial Conference of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Asienkunde (DGA)

On 10 September 2025, Dr. Andrew M. Law, the British Director of the Confucius Institute at Newcastle University (NUCI), delivered a talk on the Hanfu movement in China during a workshop on Confucius, held as part of the 5th Conference on Asian Studies — the biennial meeting of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Asienkunde (DGA), hosted in Bonn, Germany (9–11 September 2025).

Dr. Law’s presentation was scheduled in Panel 9 (slot 1): “Popular Confucianism: Exploring the Confucian Revival in China and Beyond through the Lenses of Social Science.” His talk examined contemporary Hanfu practices in China and argued that many of these cultural expressions share significant commonalities with other popular Confucian movements within the PRC.

Following his presentation, Dr. Law joined a lively panel discussion with Dr. Zeng Yukun, a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, who is also researching popular Confucianism in China. Dr. Zeng highlighted the evolving nature of the Hanfu movement and posed a thought-provoking question: what directions would Dr. Law’s future research on Hanfu and Confucianism take?

In response, Dr. Law expressed strong interest in exploring how Chinese diasporic communities interpret the Hanfu movement and Confucian values, as well as how Western audiences perceive Hanfu clothing and practices. He noted the growing trend of Western consumers — particularly women in countries such as the UK — purchasing Hanfu attire, raising questions about the extent to which Confucian values may also be transmitted alongside the clothing’s aesthetic appeal.

Overall, Dr. Law’s talk was well received by both the audience and the panel members, which included several distinguished scholars in the field of Confucian studies.

However, due to contracting a new strain of COVID-19 in the UK, Dr. Law had to deliver his presentation while wearing a mask, having learned of his positive test result only on the evening of 9 September. Nevertheless, his enthusiasm and passion for Confucianism and Chinese cultural studies shone through, and not even COVID could diminish the impact of his engaging lecture.