At a recent book launch and symposium in Beijing, the first batch of the newly compiled Guide to the World Nations and International Organizations Surveys series was unveiled, marking a new step in China’s effort to deepen area studies and better understand a rapidly changing world. The project, which will eventually cover 196 countries and 60 international organizations across 256 volumes, brings together scholars from leading research institutions to build a more systematic and comprehensive knowledge framework.

CGTN’s Yang Xinmeng takes viewers inside the event for an up-close look at what she described as a "deep archive for the mind." From Iran to Indonesia and major powers to small island states, the conversations at the event circle back to a common question: How do we truly understand a country beyond headlines and short videos? Yang explores why, in the age of AI, scholars are still investing years in building detailed, manually compiled country studies.