Peking University, Oct. 1, 2010: The inauguration of the Institute for Advanced Humanistic Studies (IAHS) was held in Shouren International Studies Center on September 28.

Prof. Zhou Qifeng, President of Peking University, Prof. Tu Weiming, head of IAHS, as well as representatives from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Studies and other departments at Peking University attended the inauguration.

Prof. Zhou Qifeng and Prof. Tu Weiming  at the ceremony

Prof. Zhou Qifeng expressed his congratulations to Prof. Tu and the staff  at IAHS in his speech . Afterward, he reviewed the inseperable relationship between the humanistic traditions held by PKU since its birth over a centuryago and the fortunes of  the whole nation. Prof. Zhou believed that the establishment of IAHS would be a milestone in the course of the development of the study of Arts and Humanities at PKU.He spoke  highly of the contributions IAHS had made in the integration of the academic resource of PKU since the  preparations for its establishment ,believing that the fields of discussion generated  by IAHS like “Rethinking the Enlightenment",“the Innovation of Confusianism”，etc. would definitely provide more and larger platforms for the academic interactions between scholars at  home and abroad. Finally, he sincerely hoped that IAHS would not only inject  vitality into the development of PKU’s humanistic studies, but also play a more important role at the turning point of this great age.

Prof. Tu briefed the current situation of IAHS. According to his introduction, IAHS is divided into four research centers, namely,"Cultural China" ,"Communication between Civilisations", "Religions around the World and the Universal Ethics" and "Yenching Center". Experts from both home and abroad will be hired to form the Advisory Council, the Consultative Council and the Academic Boards, based on which research plans will be enacted and several investigation programs will be carried out. Prof. Tu hoped that the work of IAHS would enhance the international influence of domestic humanistic studies and create an opportunity for a conversation between the core values of the East and the West, with both sides having equal status.

Representatives from PKUs Research Facility for Sinologists, Academy of Religious Studies, Academy of Condusianism as well as representatives from Department of Chinese, Department of History and Department of Philosophy all delivered speeches and expressed their congratulations  on the establishment of IAHS.They also hoped to cooperate with IAHS in terms of academic communications and personnel training, in order to foster a more integrative and forward-looking approach to humanistic studies .

In the following keynote speech, Prof. Ma Rong, Prof. Li Qiang, Prof. Zhang Xianglong and Prof. Tu Weiming, , expressed their thoughts on “Cultural China”, “Rethinking the Enlightenment”, “the Innovation of Confusianism” and “Communication between Civilisations” respectivelyin light of their own academic backgrounds, presentingthe richness of thoughts and space for extension of these four topics. They also agreed with the idea promoted by Prof. Tu that “In the context of communication between different civilisations, we should not only get to know others, but also rethink our own traditions, and foster the formation of a ‘civilisation of communication’ with a more open posture.”

At the end of the inauguration, Prof. Zhou Qifeng and Prof. Tu unveiled the plaque of IAHS together.

Group photo

Edited by: Chen Miaojuan
Translated by: Su Dongrui
Source: PKU News (Chinese)