On the afternoon of November 21, the kickoff meeting for the foundation of the NJU–Foreign Affairs Office of Jiangsu Provincial People’s Government (Jiangsu FAO) Base for International Discourse Innovation was held at Xianlin Campus. Before the meeting, Tan Tieniu, Secretary of CPC NJU Committee, met with Sun Yi, Secretary of the Leading Party Member’s Group and Director of Jiangsu FAO, and his colleagues. Yang Zhong, Executive Deputy Secretary of CPC NJU Committee and Director of the Academic Committee of the Base, and Lu Yanqing, Vice President and Deputy Director of the Academic Committee of the Base, attended the meeting. Liu Jiandong, Member of the Leading Party Member’s Group and Deputy Director of Jiangsu FAO presided over the meeting.

Tan expressed his gratitude to Jiangsu FAO for their support to NJU and pointed out that innovative research on international discourse is a good breakthrough point for the task of “telling about China”. Currently, as in science and technology, in the discourse of power, China needs to break the stranglehold applied upon her so that her voice can be heard, spread and understood in international communication. NJU looks forward to promoting cooperation with Jiangsu FAO, and setting itself as a model and leader in expanding international exchange and cooperation and strengthening international communication capabilities for China.

Sun said that NJU is not only a core institution of education and scientific research but a pivotal part of cultural power of Jiangsu. Closer cooperation with NJU means a combination of theory and practice to form complementary strength, by which the two sides can jointly enhance capabilities in international communication, promote innovation on international discourse systems, and provide China with a Jiangsu model of telling Chinese stories as well as offering Chinese solutions to world problems.

At the meeting, Sun and Yang jointly inaugurated the foundation of the Base and issued letters of appointment to the first batch of experts, including Yu Yunquan, President of the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies of China Foreign Languages Publishing Administration, Wei Xiangqing, Director of the Bilingual Dictionary Research Centre of Nanjing University and Vice President of Chinese Association for Lexicography, Zhou Rugang, President of Jiangsu Normal University, and Zhang Zhenke, Director of the Institute of African Studies of Nanjing University and Vice President of the Asian-African Association of China. The academic committee of the Base also released the first batch of key research topics for 2022-2023.

Lu said that in the future, NJU will give full play to its synergistic advantages and the unique advantages of co-establishment with Jiangsu FAO, make wise use of its talent pool, define research directions so as to attain high-quality achievements to serve the country and people.

As one of the first 14 International Discourse Innovation and Cooperation Bases appointed by China Foreign Languages Publishing Administration, the NJU–Jiangsu FAO Innovation Base for International Discourse has the important responsibility to enhance the development of China’s discourse and narrative systems in the new era. Focusing on the new practice of the modernization of a new Jiangsu featured with a “robust economy, prosperous people, beautiful environment and high level of civilization”, the Base will conduct theoretical research, introduce and promote research results, offer suggestions on administration, and expand international communication channels. The base is devoted to “telling the stories of Jiangsu” in the new era, and promoting theoretical and practical research on building an international discourse system with Chinese characteristics.

After the meeting, Yu gave a lecture entitled “Exchanges and Mutual Learning across Civilizations and Innovation on International Discourse” to NJU students and teachers.

Attendees of the meeting include experts and teachers from relevant faculties of NJU and the main responsible officials from the relevant offices of Jiangsu FAO.

Translator: Zhong Zhouyao

Editors: Chen Xing, Shao Yihang