On the morning of July 27, the launch ceremony of the English edition of Mr. Zhang Qizhi’s work The Essence of Chinese Humanistic Culture and the second International Symposium on Chinese Humanism were successfully held at Taibai Campus. Fang Guanghua, member of the Standing Committee of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Vice Chairman of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and former President of the university, delivered a video speech. The opening ceremony was attended by Sun Qingwei, the current President of the university, who also delivered a speech. The event gathered over 140 participants, including 14 experts and scholars from 9 countries, as well as university faculty and international students. The opening ceremony was hosted by Vice President Cao Rong.
In his speech, Sun Qingwei introduced the history and development of the university. He emphasized that General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important discourse on enhancing the influence and spread of Chinese civilization, along with the strategic deployment of the 20th CPC Central Committee’s Third Plenary Session to “build a more effective international communication system” provides clear direction for bolstering cultural confidence and enhancing the cultural soft power and influence of Chinese culture. He noted that the university, drawing on regional cultural resources, has taken on the responsibility of inheriting and promoting the nation’s excellent culture, thereby forming strong academic strengths and scholarly achievements. Mr. Zhang Qizhi has made significant contributions to the inheritance and development of Chinese culture through his noble character, profound academic expertise, and outstanding academic achievements. Sun encouraged faculty and students to continue inheriting and honoring Zhang Qizhi’s academic thoughts with a deep sense of cultural awareness, while also expanding and enhancing these contributions. He expressed his hope that the experts would engage in in-depth discussions, explore new areas of collaboration, and advance the international dissemination of Chinese culture to new heights.
Fang Guanghua pointed out that The Essence of Chinese Humanistic Culture is one of Mr. Zhang Qizhi’s many monumental works, which has garnered widespread attention from all walks of life. The work embodies Zhang’s unique understanding of Chinese culture. The spirit of Chinese humanism originated during the Yanhuang era, supported the development of ancient Chinese society, and has been continuously enriched throughout Chinese history. During the modernization of Chinese society, this humanistic spirit also played a unique role. The translation of The Essence of Chinese Humanistic Culture into English by the university’s translation team, under the “Silk Road Book Project” promoted by the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, aims to introduce the book to overseas readers. This effort not only meets the needs of contemporary Chinese market development but also contributes to advancing global progress and building a community with a shared future for mankind. Fang expressed confidence that Mr. Zhang’s work will attract an increasing number of overseas readers.
In congratulatory letters, the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press and Springer Group highlighted the significance of the translation, publication, and international dissemination of The Essence of Chinese Humanistic Culture for the inheritance and promotion of Chinese culture, as well as the exchange and mutual learning between Chinese and foreign civilizations. They acknowledged the university as an important force in promoting academic prosperity and facilitating cultural exchanges, and expressed their anticipation of future opportunities to collaborate with the university’s experts and scholars in contributing to the international dissemination of Chinese culture and academic exchanges.
Representatives of the university’s translation team, both Chinese and foreign, introduced the team members and shared their experiences in the translation process and the English revision.
The event concluded with Sun Qingwei, Cao Rong, and other participating leaders and experts jointly unveiling the official release of the English edition of The Essence of Chinese Humanistic Culture.
In her closing remarks, Cao Rong emphasized that the launch of the English edition marks a new step in the research and dissemination of Chinese humanism and provides a new platform for international exchange and cooperation. She stated that the launch ceremony and the International Symposium on Chinese Humanism represent another active practice in telling China’s stories using the nation’s excellent traditional culture in the new era. Looking ahead, she said, the university will continue to leverage its strengths, strengthen educational guidance and international cultural exchange and cooperation, and actively promote the exchange and mutual learning of civilizations. With a confident and open attitude, the university will further advance the international spread of Chinese culture, explaining and promoting more outstanding cultural works that embody Chinese characteristics, reflect the Chinese spirit, and contain Chinese wisdom.
The second International Symposium on Chinese Humanism, held subsequently, focused on the theme “Dialogue of Civilizations, Harmony in Diversity—The Spirit of Cultural Integration and Mutual Learning.” It featured keynote speeches from five Chinese experts, including Professor Wang Jianbao, a researcher at the Institute for Advanced Humanistic Studies at Peking University, and Professor Li Hao, Director of the College for the Study of Chinese Culture at Northwest University. Nine Sinologists from the UK, Russia, France, South Korea, Turkmenistan, Thailand, Vietnam, and Kyrgyzstan also attended and delivered keynote speeches.
The participating experts delivered rich and diverse keynote reports to the audience and international students on four aspects: comparative and mutual learning between civilizations and cultures, comparative studies on Chinese and foreign humanistic spirit and education, comparative studies on Chinese and foreign culture and literature, and practical case discussions. All experts agreed that the successful publication of the English translation of The Essence of Chinese Humanistic Culture will strongly promote and facilitate the publication of its multilingual editions, contributing to the international spread of Chinese culture with greater diversity and brilliance.
This event was co-organized by the university’s School of International Education, the Hantang Institute International, and the Institute of Chinese Thoughts and Culture, with support from the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, Springer Group, the College for the Study of Chinese Culture at Northwest University, and the Shaanxi Education International Exchange Association. The event embodied the cultural principles of openness, mutual learning, exchange, and inheritance, contributing to the construction of a more effective international communication system with the university’s efforts.
