Peking University, April 1, 2019: The 4th annual Yenching Global Symposium has officially opened at the Yenching Academy of Peking University, with an opening ceremony full of compelling speeches, performances, and multimedia displays.
The Yenching Global Symposium was initiated and organized by students of Yenching Academy of Peking University. Nearly 200 outstanding youth representatives from 60 different countries, Yenching Academy alumni, and experts and scholars from different fields gathered to celebrate this year's theme “Wǒmen: Retelling the China Stories”. The theme encourages in-depth dialogue through lectures, seminars, and other interactive exchanges that highlight the less-often told China stories: those of, by, and involving women. This gendered lens is employed alongside a global perspective that explores women's roles and strengths in promoting China's development, while facilitating dialogue among young leaders in various countries and sectors.
In the opening ceremony, Yuan Ming, dean of Yenching Academy (YCA), reviewed symposiums held by the academy during the past three years and highly praised YCA fellows for their creativity and wisdom in combining English and Chinese, creating interesting and extraordinary ways of using language. Then she shared her grandmother’s story of pursuing knowledge and truth. “She is my role model. Even in bad illness, she still encouraged me to continue my study overseas, contribute to society and gain respect for Chinese women. She taught me how to write my own China story. There are various China stories happening every day and they are intercultural. A good education also needs to be intercultural,” recounted by Yuan, adding that participants should share their China stories in the past and write their present and future stories.
Yuan Ming delivering a keynote speech
Zoe Jordan from U.S. was admitted to YCA in 2018 and she is the co-chairman of the organizing committee of YGS 2019. She believes that there are many China stories already in the global arena, but most of them are relevant to the long history, historical sites, traditional culture and the higher economic and political status of China. Actually, more China stories in other aspects awaits our exploration. YGS 2019 aims to identify key components of the global “China stories” and re-explores China’s multi-faceted revival through a gendered lens.
Zoe Jordan sharing her thoughts
Liu Xin, host of The Point with LIU Xin on CGTN, also shared her China story based on her career development. In this process, she learns how to think, ask questions and express herself. She tries to build a bridge of communication and understanding between China and the whole world, listen to other parts of the world and bring Chinese voices to them. Liu believes that everyone is a narrator who can write his or her own China story to make the whole world better understand China, which is the significance of this symposium.
Liu Xin illustrating her points
During the three-day symposium, guests shared their stories from the perspective of economy and development, politics and law, including Wang Yuan, former chief economist of China Development Bank, Carma Elliot, director China of British Council, and Professor Susan Shirk from University of California, San Diego. Cultural workshops and field trips were also conducted in this symposium.
YGS 2019 closed on March 31th. The first Chinese-American Woman Mayor Lily Lee Chen of Monterey Park, California attended the closing ceremony and delivered a keynote speech. The symposium is sponsored by Bai Xian Education Foundation and Bai Xian Asia Institute, whose delegates also participated in the symposium.
Written by: Liu Danyang
Edited by: Ma Yaoli
Source: PKU News (Chinese), Yenching Academy
