Confucian entrepreneurs, in the words of today, refer to the entrepreneurs who care politics, participate in social activities and emphasize culture. They are also intellectual elites and public intellectuals in the business circle who possess keen consciousness of the main trends in the world and public awareness.

- Tu Weiming

“Confucian entrepreneurs” boast a long historical tradition while nowadays signifying connotations of reality and practical possibilities . In this sense, Confucian entrepreneurs are both the parties of the dialogue and the people who construct and enrich the cultural identity of new “Confucian entrepreneurs”. While Confucianism studies may be professional but less influential in the academic circle or may be of great influence but confronted with many practical constraints in the political circle, only contemporary entrepreneurs possess resources and a global outlook. Therefore, should ideals for creating conditions for developing Confucianism are developed to identify the “Confucian entrepreneurs” in the era of change, they would have boundless prospects.

Besides economic capital, leaders in the twenty-first century should possess social capital; cultural competence in addition to technological competence; emotional quotient in addition to intelligence quotient; and spiritual values in addition to material conditions. How to foster cultural competence? How to encourage ethical intelligence? How to develop spiritual values? All these questions are about the civilization of Confucian entrepreneurs.

The business circle enriches the managerial experience with humanistic care, expand the vision of the elites with academic strength and enhance the leadership with master's cultivation, which jointly generate the cultural influence of contemporary “Confucian entrepreneurs”, improve social morality and cultivate top-level talents.

The long-term objectives of “Discourse on Confucian Entrepreneurs” are to cultivate the root of mind, supply nutrients to mind, enhance the cultural competence of business elites and drop the seeds of caring politics, participating in social activities and emphasizing culture of contemporary “Confucian entrepreneurs”. We are looking forward to the dialogue and cooperation between public knowledge leaders in the business circle and those in the academic circle and the transmission of humanistic spirits and public reasons. According to the assumption of “developing ‘Confucian entrepreneurs’ into a new kind of discourse” proposed by Mr. Tu, we attempt to develop a series of activities of “Confucian Entrepreneur Dialogue” into a public discourse sphere dominated by Confucian scholars and entrepreneurs, so as to bring about the entrepreneurial identities of global significance during the transformation “axial-age civilization ” to the “dialogical civilization”.

Nourish its root and await its fruit, add its oil and await its light. With roots that are lush the fruit will follow, with oil that is rich the light will be bright.