International Symposium

International Symposium

16th International Symposium (Jointly held by Kobe University and Zhejiang University)
“The philosophical values behind the Xinhai Revolution as seen from East Asia – Modernization and the meaning of exchange studies”

Since its creation, the Faculty of Intercultural Studies/Department of Intercultural Research, has invited researchers and cultural experts from around the world to hold an international symposium almost every year, discussing the issues international society faces. There have been fifteen such symposiums in the past. 2011 marks the 100 year anniversary of the Xinhai Revolution. The 16th symposium, held in July with a focus on international exchange and overseas studies, used the geographical context of east Asia and the more modern philosophy Chinese exchange studies with Japan has brought to Asia, to contemplate the meaning of the Xinhai Revolution.

Chairman of the International Symposium committee
Professor Ke WANG

2011 marks the 100 year anniversary of the Xinhai Revolution. There are two things we must keep in mind at all times to understand China’s progress in recent times. The first is that China’s last dynasty was Manchurian, rather than Chinese. The other is that many of the philosophers and revolutionaries in recent China were affected by modern philosophies and ways of thinking in Japan. However, these two points are in no way isolated. In other words, resentment towards ethnic discrimination resulted in ethnic revolution, as shown in the slogan “Expel the Tartars, restore China.” However, those ethnic and nationalistic thoughts were taken from none other than Japan, and the greatest factor here was Chinese students who had studied in Japan. In that sense, Japanese education in China’s recent history did not stop at simple overseas education, but should be taken as a factor that caused a great impact in China’s recent societal changes.

It’s on the following thoughts that, as part of our typical international endeavors, Kobe University’s Faculty of Intercultural Studies and Intercultural Research department have decided to plan and hold this symposium: “The philosophical values behind the Xinhai Revolution as seen from East Asia – Modernization and the meaning of exchange studies” alongside Zhejiang University. For this symposium, Zhejiang University’s vice president, professor 羅衛東, professor 黄華新, the director of humane studies, and professor 盛暁明 and professor 呂一民, the assistant directors of humane studies, have all come here from China. On July 2nd, the symposium opened with an address by the Chairman of the International Symposium committee Tomokazu Sakano. This was followed by addresses from the president of Kobe University, Hideki Fukuda, as well as assistant director Chiharu Nakamura. There was then a joint lecture between (then) director Kazuo Ogura of the Japan Foundation and vice president, professor 羅衛東 of Zhejiang University. The presence of over 120 people in a facility designed for a hundred – media, people of both universities and cities – served to confirm that there was still a great interest in the relation between Japan and the Xinhai Revolution, and indeed the relations between China and Japan in general.

Research on the Xinhai Revolution so far tended to focus on the revolution itself. While it has made the revolution’s importance for Asian and world history quite clear, it feels limited in scope. Instead of the typical approach, this symposium will focus on international exchange and overseas studies, and contemplate the meaning of the Xinhai Revolution against the background of east Asia’s geographical context, and the philosophical context of modern thought in Asia. This research will not only allow us to deepen our understanding of Asia’s modernization process but also contribute to scholarly research.

Time July 2nd, 2011 (Sat), 13:00 – 17:00
Venue Kobe University Takigawa Memorial Scholastic Exchange Hall
Lecture1 “China as seen by the Japanese and Japan as seen by the Chinese”
Kazuo Ogura (director of the Japan Foundation, former ambassador to France and South Korea)
Lecture2 “Zhejiang University and the Xinhai Revolution – As seen from the view of the modernization of education and overseas studies”
羅衛東, vice president of Zhejiang University
Report 1.“Xinhai Revolution and the Japan Society for the Studies of Chinese Overseas students”
Miyoshi Yasui (Proprietor of the Sun Yat-sen memorial museum and honorary professor of Kobe University)
2.“Reforming the social classes in Zhejiang in a time of social change – The Japanese overseas studies endeavors, and bureaucrats and officials in the time of the Xinhai Revolution”
呂一民 (Assistant director of Zhejiang University humane studies)
3.“Japanese overseas studies seen from East Asia – Kobe University as an example”
Yasuhiro Nakanishi (Professor, Kobe University exchange student center)
Debate Moderator: Wang Ke (professor at the Kobe University department of intercultural research, honorary professor of Zhejiang University)
Debater: 黄華新 (Director of Zhejiang University, Human Studies)
Faculty of Intercultural Studies/ Graduate School of Intercultural Studies, Kobe University
1-2-1, Tsurukabuto, Nada-ku, Kobe, JAPAN 657-8501
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