The Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China officially issued a document to announce the list of collaborative innovation centers in 2019, and the construction of Collaborative Innovation Center of Confucian Civilization initiated by Shandong University was approved. This indicates that the center has been upgraded from the provincial scientific research to a national platform.

The Collaborative Innovation Center of Confucian Civilization (hereinafter referred to as the center) is initiated by Shandong University, combined with a number of universities, government departments and social organizations. After seven years of cultivation and operation, it has developed into one of the most influential research and promotion platforms of traditional Chinese culture.

The overall goal of the center is to build a highland of Chinese cultural with Confucianism as the main body, and firstly strive to build it into the world-class important place of Confucianism which promotes Chinese classical academic research, attracts the top forces of Confucianism research, and explores a new mode of talent training, so as to make the center an ideal high-end platform for the exchange of Confucianism and related academic researchers, and become an academic institution with international reputation and influence. Moreover, the center aims to explore the modern value of Confucian civilization, strengthen the research of Chinese excellent traditional culture, carry out innovative development of Confucianism, and provide traditional wisdom for national governance. Furthermore, based on the study of Confucianism and Chinese traditional culture, the center will explore the way to integrate Chinese traditional culture with Marxism and Western culture, and build a national cultural development strategic think tank with important policy consultation value.