In order to push forward the construction of the “Belt and Road”, promote dialogue and exchanges among civilizations to a new level, and actively build a community with a shared future for mankind, the international academic conference on “Diverse Civilizations and Common Development” and 2019 annual meeting of Huzhou University cross-cultural Research Center was held in our university on November 30th. The event was hosted by Chinese Academy of Social Sciences International Center for Chinese Studies, the International Cultural Exchanges Institute of Tongji University, and Huzhou University Cross-cultural Research Center.
Leaders and guests from home and abroad gathered in our school that day. Zhang Shuhua, the CPPCC National Committee member, the director of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Political Institute, and the director of International Center for Chinese Studies, Zhou Guping, the former Deputy Secretary of Communist Party of China of Zhejiang University, the dean of the Western China Development Research Institute of Zhejiang University, and the executive director of the Regional Harmonious Development Research Center, Wei Jinghua, the former ambassador to Azerbaijan, Akram Zener, the ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to China, Samir Mammadov, the special representative, Tang Shuming, the director of International Cooperation and Exchange Department of Zhejiang province, Zang Xueping, the director of Foreign Affairs Office of Huzhou people’s government in Zhejiang province, Liu Shuyan, the International Cultural Exchanges Institute of Tongji University, He Jun, Fudan University specially-appointed professor and the former vice-president of Hangzhou Normal University, Xu Donghua, executive vice-president of “Belt and Road” Research Institute in Dalian Maritime University, and many other people were invited to the meeting. The experts and scholars from Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Zhejiang University, Fudan University, Tongji University, East China Normal University, Beijing Foreign Studies University, University of International Business and Economics, Dalian Maritime University and other famous universities and scientific research institutions in China were also invited to participate this event. Zhang Liqin, president of our university, Ye Jinyun and Ma Zhihe, vice-presidents of our university, Du Ning, member of the Party committee and Propaganda Minister, attended the event. All the relevant departments, research institutions, teachers and students of the secondary colleges and representatives of international students participated this meeting together.
Before the meeting, Jin Peihua, secretary of the Party committee of the university, met with the relevant leaders and guests attending the meeting, and warmly welcomed them to attend the meeting. He hoped that all the leaders and guests would pay attention to the development of Huzhou University, give guidance in the discipline and professional construction, talent cultivation, cross-cultural research and other aspects, and make suggestions for the realization of the leapfrog development of the university. Jin Peihua stressed that the school actively implements the national "Belt and Road" initiative, attaches great importance to the internationalization of education, and works hard to run the Confucius School of Azerbaijan language university to serve the economic and social development of Huzhou. Jin Peihua also held talks with guests on the establishment of an international academic committee for the centre of cross-cultural research, permanent venue, national and regional cultural research, team building, academic brand building and other issues.
At the meeting, Zhang Liqin first expressed warm welcome and heartfelt thanks to all the leaders and guests attending the conference. He pointed out that civilizations communicate because of diversity, learn from each other through communication, and develop through learning from each other. The world is undergoing a great change which is unseen in a century. Communication and mutual learning among diverse civilizations and common development have become a new trend of globalization. Today, the international academic seminar of "pluralistic culture and common development" is held ceremoniously, expecting to the convening of the conference as an opportunity to inspire the collision and blending of the multicultural, promoting mutual learning world civilization dialogue, exchanges and cooperation, integration development, jointly promote the construction of human fate community, contributing to promoting "area" national strategy Huzhou wisdom and Huzhou scheme.
Samir Mammadov, the special representative of Akram Zenal, the ambassador of the Azerbaijani republic to China, expressed his gratitude for the warm reception and conveyed ambassador Akram Zenal's best wishes for the grand opening of the seminar. He said that he hopes to take the international symposium as an opportunity to enhance multicultural communication, collide new ideas, deepen friendship and inclusive among people from different countries.
Wei Jinghua expressed sincere congratulations on the opening of the conference in his speech. He pointed out that the leading group of party committee of Huzhou University attached great importance to the work of the Confucius Institude of Azerbaijan University of Languages, sent good teacher to form a team and made joint efforts with Azerbaijan, which has made the Confucius Institude of Azerbaijan University of Languages successful as well as remarkable and has greatly deepened the mutual understanding between people of two countries and laid solid friendship between the two countries.
Zang Xueping represented Huzhou municipal party committee and government expressed warm congratulations on the opening of the conference. She said that since the cross-culture research center of Huzhou University has established, it has fully served the national strategy of “Belt and Road” and submitted the report on the related work of Confucius Institutes participating in the construction of “Belt and Road” which gained party secretary handwriting instructions, hoping Huzhou University can make persistent efforts and continue to run the characteristics of the level as well as service Huzhou to deeply participate in “Belt and Road” and make new as well as great contributions.
Tang Shuming represented the education department of Zhejiang province extended warm congratulations on the opening of seminar.He pointed out that the international symposium on "Multicultural Civilization and Common Development" was held in Huzhou, the birthplace of silk culture. Experts and scholars at home and abroad gathered together to discuss the issue of diverse civilizations exchange and mutual learning. He hoped that through the exchange and collision of different regions, countries, and civilizations, we could share multiple cultures, promote new breakthroughs and new achievements in cross-cultural research, and strive for building a community of shared future for mankind.
Zhang Shuhua pointed out in his speech that today's grand gathering focused on "Diverse Civilization and Common Development", expected to stimulate the sparks of collision of different civilizations, promoted exchanges and mutual learning of different civilizations, allowed different civilizations to blend and coexist, and injected new kinetic energy to promote the community of shared future for mankind. Since the cross-Cultural Research Center was established, it has successfully held the first "the Belt and Road" symposium and finished a large amount of work such as the translation, publication, and authorization of the book "On Azerbaijan'sPolicy Pattern" written by President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Leham Arief. At the same time, the construction of the exhibition hall of Muti-cultural Center (the total area is about 1000 square meters) has been officially launched. At present, the civil works of the cultural exhibition halls of Azerbaijan, Ukraine and Belarus have been completed and the next phase of key work is being deployed.
After the opening ceremony, the conference held a cross-cultural academic keynote report, which was presided over by Ma Zhihe. At the meeting, four experts and scholars from Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Zhejiang University, Fudan University and Huzhou University made keynote speeches on how to view the “ world’s great changes and the new era of China ”, “ Belt and Road and the people-to-people bond ”, “ ‘harmony in diversity’ and ‘harmony’ : The sentiments of Chinese culture and the Community of Human Destiny” , “ the exchanges and mutual learning of Eurasian civilizations help to build the Community of Human Destiny ”, which made an exchange and discussion on different academic status in the field of cross-cultural studies.
In the afternoon, the conference launched the theme speech phase of experts and scholars at home and abroad, and the seminar was chaired by Ye Jinyun. At the meeting, experts made deep and extensive academic discussions on the theme of community of human destiny and ocean civilization, letting Chinese and Chinese culture enter the hearts of the people in the world, the understanding of the community of human destiny in overseas academic circles, cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and Russia under the background of “ the Belt and Road ” , the opportunities and challenges faced by Confucius Institute under the globalization, the status of Chinese dissemination in Confucius Institute of the Azerbaijan University of languages, Azerbaijan and Chinese cultural communication under the background of Belt and Road initiative, characteristics of education development in post-Soviet countries under the background of globalization, exploring the similarities and differences of the national characters between the Chinese and the Belarus, Internationalization of higher education under the background of the community of human destiny and so on.
In his closing speech, Ye Jinyun pointed out that the conference was short, practical, economical and efficient. It enriched the academic research of diverse civilizations and common development, pointed out the development direction of cross-cultural Research Center, built a communication platform for experts and scholars at home and abroad, and further improved the influence of school’s national and regional cultural research.
It’s reported that Huzhou University will be the permanent site of “Diverse Civilizations and Common Development” international academic forum, which was sponsored by the International Chinese Studies Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and co-organized by the College of International Cultural Exchange of Tongji University. The Cross-cultural Research Center will integrate the development resources at home and abroad to build a high-end academic brand, strengthen national and regional researches, and make greater contributions to the service of “ the Belt and Road ” initiative and the construction of Huzhou University.