• 2024-11-05

To address the new challenges faced by Chinese studies in the context of globalization, the National Central Library collaborated with the Department of Political Theory and Philosophy at the Faculty of Political Sciences and Journalism, Adam Mickiewicz University (AMU) in Poland to host the international conference “Chinese Studies and Global Cultural Changes: Hermeneutics of Multilinguisticality between Translations and Interpretations” on October 17–18, 2024, at Adam Mickiewicz University. The conference featured keynote speeches, including a Taiwan Lecture on Chinese Studies delivered by Professor Jana S. Rošker from the Department of Asian Studies, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. Her presentation, titled “Transcultural Studies and the Method of Sublation,” explored methodologies in transcultural research. Additionally, the TECO Education Division in Poland attended the event to express strong support and recognition of efforts to promote bilateral academic and cultural exchanges.

The opening ceremony of the symposium on October 17 was co-hosted by Professor Aleksandra Kaniewska-Sęba, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Political Science and Journalism at AMU in Poznań, and NCL Director-General Han-ching Wang. Professor Kaniewska-Sęba warmly welcomed scholars from various fields, noting that the exchange not only brings new perspectives to Chinese studies but also offers innovative approaches to cross-cultural dialogue. Director-General Wang highlighted the longstanding relationship between the National Central Library and Adam Mickiewicz University. In 2019, an international collaboration agreement was signed, establishing the Taiwan Resource Center for Chinese Studies (TRCCS) at AMU as a partner of the library. Since then, the National Central Library has consistently provided Taiwanese publications on Taiwan studies and Chinese studies, as well as access to important Taiwanese academic databases. The idea for the symposium originated in June 2023, when Professors Stelmach and Szymczyński visited the National Central Library and proposed the collaboration. After more than a year of planning and coordination, the event came to fruition this October. Director-General Wang expressed gratitude to Professor Szymczyński from the Department of Political Theory and Philosophy for his co-organization efforts, to the Faculty of Political Science and Journalism for their support, and to scholars from various countries for their participation, which ensured the success of this symposium.

Regarding the theme of this conference, both organizing parties agreed that the precise meaning of Chinese studies has long been subject to diverse interpretations. Consequently, the conference invited scholars from various disciplines, including linguistics, translation studies, philosophy, social sciences, and comparative cultural studies, to share their research findings and methodologies.

Through two days of in-depth discussions at the conference, scholars from Taiwan, Poland, the United States, Slovenia, Germany, and France engaged in reflective dialogues on the interdependence between Chinese studies and contemporary global cultural transformations. They explored the potential similarities and differences between global and local trends while highlighting shared humanistic values and ideas across diverse cultural contexts. For detailed topics, please visit the conference webpage: https://isp.ncl.edu.tw/conf-isc2024.