Publisher: College of Liberal Arts  

Date: December 10, 2024

From November 30th to December 1st, the 6th Member Representative Conference of the China World Association for Chinese Literatures and an International Academic Symposium on the Common Values of All Humanity and the Development of World Chinese Literature took place at the Wuzhen Campus of Zhejiang Media College. During this event, Professor Bai Yang from the Chinese Department of the College of Liberal Arts at Jinan University was elected as the new president of the Society.

The conference was jointly organized by the China World Association for Chinese Literatures and Zhejiang Media College and attracted over 160 representatives from numerous prestigious institutions, including Jinan University, Jilin University, Shandong University, Fudan University, and international participants from countries such as Canada, the United States, and Malaysia. The event's opening ceremony was led by Zhu Wenbin, Vice President of the China World Association for Chinese Literatures and Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Zhejiang Media College.

On the evening of November 30th, the sixth member representative conference took place, during which the board of directors was elected and a new council, president, vice president, and secretary general were appointed. The meeting also honored the previous work of the outgoing council and supervisory board.

At the opening ceremony, Xia Quan, speaking on behalf of the governing body at Jinan University, commended the achievements of the Society in promoting the overseas dissemination and academic development of Chinese culture. He emphasized that Chinese literature serves as a vital representation of the shared future of humanity and expressed gratitude to the organizing committee of Zhejiang Media College. He noted the significant practical and academic importance of the conference in addressing current trends and challenges in global Chinese literature.

Li Wenbing, Vice President of Zhejiang Media College, highlighted that Chinese literature embodies the cultural consensus of the global Chinese community, serving as a means to explore shared values and build a global community. He expressed hope that the conference would promote the creation and research of Chinese literature globally and inspire deeper engagement with cultural missions.

Zhang Fugui, President of the Society, reviewed its progress and achievements over the past five years, proposing four developmental directions for Chinese literature research: enhancing national narratives, expanding research scopes, improving research methods, and fostering the disciplinary nature of the field.

The conference included a moment of silence in memory of Professor Rao Pengzi of Jinan University, a pioneer in overseas Chinese literature research and founding president of the Society, who recently passed away. His contributions to the Society and the field of Chinese literature were greatly acknowledged.

In a series of keynote speeches, experts and scholars, including Bai Yang, Zhang Fugui, and distinguished writers from various countries, addressed topics such as cultural confidence, the role of senior scholars in world Chinese literature, new immigrant literature, and the global dissemination of Chinese culture. The keynote session was hosted by Professor Zhang Zhonggang from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, with evaluations led by Professor Yuan Yonglin from Fujian Normal University.

Following the keynote discussions, attendees engaged in breakout sessions at five sub-venues, where they delved into cutting-edge issues and core themes in Chinese literature research from diverse perspectives.