On the afternoon of May 9th, the cultural co-construction launch ceremony between International Campus, Zhejiang University and Zhejiang University Press, along with the first renowned lecture event, was successfully held at the International Campus. Professors XU Zhiqiang from the College of Humanities and FAN Yun from the College of Media and International Culture of Zhejiang University were invited for a distinguished dialogue. Attendees included WU Chen, Party Secretary and Chairman of Zhejiang University Press, CHEN Jie, Editor-in-Chief of Zhejiang University Press and Professor at the College of Humanities, QU Haidong, Vice Dean of International Campus, and CHEN Liang, Vice Dean of International Campus. JIANG Xiaoqiang, Director of Office of Campus Operations and Support of International Campus, hosted the event. Over eighty faculty, staff and students, and editors from the press participated.
Attending leaders, guests, and audience
Vice Dean CHEN Liang delivering a speech
Vice Dean CHEN Liang introduced the basic overview of International Campus and expressed high expectations and full confidence in the cooperation between the two parties. He hoped that through this cultural co-construction event, we could integrate advantageous resources and create a unique cultural brand for International Campus. He pointed out that the two parties would engage in deep cooperation in campus cultural construction: building a cultural communication platform, establishing a display window for the press's achievements, jointly planning and publishing special series focusing on engineering education frontiers and cross-cultural studies, and regularly holding academic salons, renowned lectures, and other diverse cultural activities to promote the collision of academic thoughts and cultural integration.
Chairman WU Chen delivering a speech
Chairman WU Chen stated that culture is the soul of a university, and publishing is the bridge of thought. This cooperation, with cultural co-construction as the link, is not only a deep integration of the two parties' resource advantages but also a practice of Zhejiang University's spirit of "seeking truth and pursuing innovation." Through Zhejiang University Press Qizhen Bookstore, they will showcase high-quality academic achievements, promote academic results through teacher publishing lectures, renowned forums, themed readings, and book exhibitions, and explore the integration path of academic publishing and campus culture. This will allow more Zhejiang University wisdom and Chinese voices to reach the world through publishing.
Vice Dean CHEN Liang and Editor-in-Chief CHEN Jie signing the cultural co-construction memorandum
At the signing ceremony, Vice Dean CHEN Liang and Editor-in-Chief CHEN Jie jointly signed the cultural co-construction cooperation memorandum, marking the beginning of deeper cooperation in culture, academics, and other fields to jointly promote the cultural construction and academic development of the campus.
Director JIANG Xiaoqiang hosting
Lecture on As a Life Philosophy, Love Guidebook, and Literature Form in the AI Era
In the subsequent renowned lecture, Professors XU Zhiqiang and FAN Yun engaged in a dialogue on the theme "As a Life Philosophy, Love Guidebook, and Literature Form in the AI Era," using "Tolstoy or Dostoevsky: An Essay in Contrast" and "Ludwig Wittgenstein:The Duty of Genius" as examples. They discussed the impact of literary works on the growth of young people, emphasizing that literature not only brings joy but also enlightens thinking and shocks the soul. Literary reading can provide young people with diverse thinking paradigms, helping them choose their life paths independently. The impact of AI technology highlights the humanistic value of literature, aiding individuals in achieving spiritual and moral self-development in the technological era. The professors called on universities and society to create a diverse cultural growth environment for young people, stimulating their subjectivity through reading activities and making literature the cornerstone of "self-cultivation" in the technological era.
Professor XU Zhiqiang
Professor XU Zhiqiang mentioned that excellent literary works act as bridges, cleverly connecting the micro world of individuals with the vast macro world, allowing readers to experience diverse lives in limited reading time and achieve the expansion and sublimation of their worldview. He pointed out that literature is not only cognitive enlightenment but also spiritual awakening. A masterpiece often brings a profound shock far beyond sensory pleasure. He hoped that every new generation of readers could experience the indescribable shock brought by good literary works.
Professor FAN Yun
Professor FAN Yun, starting from the methodology of reading, advocated for reading classics through close and slow reading to cultivate a keen "sense of perception" through immersive reading. He also proposed that literature bears a special mission in the digital wave—to resist the tendency of over-quantification and simplification of things with its unique humanistic warmth, guarding the richness and depth of the human spiritual world.
Reader questions
At the end of the lecture, readers actively asked questions. The professors shared their knowledge and practical experiences on topics such as "self-growth," "self-awareness," "the mediating value of literature in psychological healing," and "the balance between reality and ideals."
Meanwhile, Zhejiang University Press Qizhen Bookstore was launched in the iLounge of the library, creating an ideal space for reading and culture for teachers and students.
Qizhen Bookstore
In the future, the campus and Zhejiang University Press will work together to promote campus cultural construction, enhance the humanistic atmosphere, and facilitate the dissemination of academic achievements.
Article and Photography: QIN Difan, XIONG Weiwei
Editing: LI Songjiao
Editing in charge: LI Yinan
Reviewer: YANG Yi
Final Review: QU Haidong