Nanjing University (NJU) held the International Symposium on the Teaching and Research of Japanese Language and Literature from a Cross-Cultural Perspective on May 27, during the visit by Haneda Masashi, vice president of the University of Tokyo.

Masashi was leading a delegation of professors and attended a retrospective exhibit of the cooperation and exchange between the two universities as well as the symposium.

The purpose of organizing these events was for further strengthening educational exchange and cooperation and promoting the teaching and research of Japanese language and literature in China.

Nanjing University and the University of Tokyo have maintained a close relationship of exchange and cooperation for a long time.

Meeting (by She Zhijun)

President of Nanjing University Chen Jun and President Haneda met on May 26 and shared their latest achievements and new initiatives in university management and development.

Chen spoke highly of the joint programs co-hosted by the two sides and hoped that the two sides could carry out interdisciplinary research on energy and global climate change in the future.

Haneda agreed and stated that the University of Tokyo would further consolidate the existing programs, strive to promote cooperation in research and encourage more Japanese students to study at Nanjing University.

The Retrospective Exhibition on Nanjing University - Tokyo University Cooperation and Exchange and the International Symposium on Teaching and Research of Japanese Language and Literature were held on May 27 at the School of Foreign Studies of Nanjing University.

Yang Jincai, dean of the School of Foreign Studies, presided over the opening ceremony. 

Liu Hongjian, vice chancellor of the university, recalled in his speech the fruitful achievements in student and faculty exchange and in research cooperation between the two universities and hoped to set up more cooperation and exchange platforms in the future.

Haneda congratulated Nanjing University on its 115th anniversary, reviewed the history of exchange and cooperation between the two sides and expressed his wish that the two sides could expand cooperation in more and more fields.

Inauguration (by Wang Hongbing)

Addressing (by Wang Hongbing)

After the opening ceremony, all the participants visited the exhibit and were particularly impressed by the internationalized, high-level general education courses and innovation-and-practice courses that were jointly promoted, on the NJU side, by the Office of International Exchanges, Office of Academic Affairs and School of Foreign Studies.

The exhibition was designed under the leadership of Wang Jinghua, CPC secretary of the School of Foreign Studies.

Professor Karima Fumitoshi, from the University of Tokyo, who was for many years strongly committed to promoting the exchange between the two universities, spoke highly of the exhibition and looked forward to further cooperation between the two sides.

The symposium covered three topics: Theoretical Fronts in Japanese language and culture studies, Trends of Japanese literature research, and Disciplinary construction of the Japanese major at colleges and universities in present-day China.

Professor He Ciyi, of Japanese Language Department, presided over the symposium.

Specialists in Japanese language and literature made speeches, including Zhou Yifu, professor of Jilin University and president of the Japanese Language Teaching and Research Association, Komori Yoichiof, Ito Noriya, both professors of the University of Tokyo, and Ye Lin, professor of NJU’s Japanese Language Department.

About 50 scholars and students attended the symposium, including those from the University of Tokyo and from Peking University, Fudan University, Zhejiang University, Xiamen University and Southeast University.

Source: Office of International Cooperation and Exchanges and School of Foreign Studies