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Students from Wuhan University participate in the China-UK Higher Education Alliance Young Talent Conference

Sep 21, 2022 Clicks:

Author:Wen Puwen

On September 9-10, Beijing time, the fourth China-UK Higher Education Alliance Young Talent (HEYTA) Conference hosted by the University of Exeter and co-organized by Tsinghua University was held online. Scholars and students from the University of Exeter, Tsinghua University, Wuhan University, Fudan University, and many other universities in China participated in the event. Three students from the School of Chinese Language and Literature, the School of Foreign Languages and Literature, and the School of Economics and Management participated in the conference online.

The conference officially kicked off at 16:30 Beijing time on September 9. Melissa Percival, Associate Dean Global, College of Humanities, University of Exeter, and Yu Xiaoxiao, President of the Tsinghua University Youth League Committee, attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches.

Speech by Melissa Percival, Associate Dean Global, College of Humanities, University of Exeter

The HEYTA conference is an integral part of the China-UK Higher Education Humanities Alliance, which aims to promote the participation of Chinese and British youth in global dialogue around the humanities and to enhance their international understanding and cross-cultural communication skills through the exchange of ideas. The theme of this year's conference was "Rewriting Modernity: Literature, History and Cultural Translation."

A total of four Chinese and foreign scholars and six student representatives gave academic presentations covering various humanities fields. 

The scholars' presentations included Mary Shelley's Frankenstein: People, Places, Paper by Prof. Haisy Day of the University of Exeter, The Original Sin in Finnegan's Wake by Prof. Dai Conrong of Fudan University, Paper Cinema: Chinese Translation of Hollywood Film Plot Sheets in the 1930s and 1940s by Prof. Jin Haina of the Communication University of China. 

Prof. Haisy Day, University of Exeter, giving an academic presentation


Prof. Jin Haina, Communication University of China, giving an academic presentation

The student presentations included Successful intercultural exchange cannot be achieved without cultural context by Amelia Bentley from the University of Exeter and T. S. Eliot and the Metaphysical Poets by Li Chenxinyue from Tsinghua University. 

During the two-day event, Prof. Li Jun from the University of International Business and Economics led a workshop entitled What light through yonder window breaks?- Interpreting and Adapting the Balcony Scene from Romeo and Juliet, introducing the modernization and ethnicization of the classic scene from Romeo and Juliet.

Prof. Li Jun, University of International Business and Economics, leading a workshop

Our students broadened their international horizons and enhanced their humanities and intercultural communication skills through exchanges with scholars and students from Chinese and foreign universities. Su from the School of Foreign Languages and Literature said, "I am honored to be able to communicate with fellow teachers from prestigious universities at home and abroad. The topics discussed at this conference, such as cultural background and identity crisis in the framework of cross-cultural communication, are very enlightening and beneficial to my professional studies." Wen from the School of Economics and Management believes that participating in interdisciplinary academic forums can broaden the horizons and perceive the influence of multiculturalism on social life, which positively impacts personality.

The China-UK Association for the Humanities in Higher Education was established in 2016, and Wuhan University is one of the founding members of the Alliance. The China-UK Association for the Humanities in Higher Education young talent conference has been held three times since 2019. Wuhan University will host the annual forum of the China-UK Association for the Humanities in Higher Education in 2023.

Rewritten by Wen Puwen

Edited by Sylvia, Xi Bingqing