Publisher: Guangming Daily  

Date: November 18, 2024  

Recently, the Contemporary Value Masters Forum of Chinese Traditional Culture took place at the Panyu Campus of Jinan University, alongside the unveiling ceremony of the Provincial Social Science Research Base.

(At the forum)

Xing Feng, president of Jinan University and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), emphasized the vital role of Chinese culture as the foundation of national identity and a driving force behind the realization of the great Chinese dream. He highlighted the importance of traditional culture in establishing China's position among global nations.

Li Yihang, Secretary of the Party Group and Vice Chairman of the Guangdong Provincial Federation of Social Sciences, encouraged experts and scholars to uphold the mission of preserving Chinese cultural heritage while creating contemporary interpretations. He called for building a robust research environment for traditional culture in the Lingnan region.

The forum featured keynote speeches from prominent scholars. Chen Pingyuan, a philosophy professor at Peking University, discussed the significance of critical thinking in the evolution of Chinese traditional culture, arguing that Chinese studies should embrace both high culture and popular culture to remain relevant today.

Zhang Guogang, a senior professor at Tsinghua University, explored the modern significance of Confucianism, outlining three essential principles: problem orientation, seizing opportunities, and maintaining a comprehensive perspective. He emphasized that these ideas have historically influenced reforms in China and continue to be relevant today.

Yang Yiming, Dean of the School of Language Science at Jiangsu Normal University, presented a report on the cognitive mechanisms involved in reading and its role in transmitting traditional Chinese culture. He argued that reading fosters cultural identity and confidence, enhancing the sense of community among the Chinese people.

Lin Lunlun, a professor at Guangdong Normal University, discussed the international and contemporary value of Chaozhou culture, stressing the need for its innovation to engage younger generations and integrate it into modern society.

During a roundtable forum, Professor Zuo Pengjun from South China Normal University addressed the contemporary relevance of traditional Chinese culture and the principles guiding its inheritance and dissemination. Sun Aiqun, former vice president of Yangcheng Evening News Group, examined the construction of an effective international communication system for promoting traditional Chinese culture. Cheng Jingwu, Dean of the Institute of Chinese National Cohesion at Jinan University, connected the inheritance of Chinese culture to contemporary national development.

This forum was organized by several entities, including the Chinese Culture Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and Overseas Inheritance and Communication Collaborative Innovation Center at Jinan University. It is part of a series of academic activities celebrating the 118th anniversary of Jinan University and the 10th anniversary of the Panyu campus.