On September 16, 2023, the “Nanjing Forum 2023” opened at NJU. The two-day forum was jointly organized by Nanjing University and Chey Institute for Advanced Studies (CIAS) from South Korea, with the theme “Civilization, Technology and Common Values: The Vision of Asia.” Scholars and guests from South Korea, Japan, the United States, Canada, Singapore, Germany, and Malaysia, as well as domestic universities, government departments, enterprises, and media attended the Forum. The Forum aimed to explore the contemporary issues of social and economic development and the inheritance of human civilization through interdisciplinary and multi-perspective approaches, and to create new mechanisms and solutions for global governance.

Zhao Yan, member of the Party Group of the Jiangsu Provincial Government, Wang Liping, Secretary and Chairman of the Party Group of the Nanjing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference in Jiangsu Province, Tan Tieniu, Chair of the Nanjing University CPC Council and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chey Tae-won, Chairman and CEO of SK HOLDINGS, Yunkeum Chang, President of Sookmyung Women’s University, and Kim Seong-Kyu, Vice President of Seoul National University, attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches.

Speech by Zhao Yan

Speech by Wang Liping

Speech by Tan Tieniu

Tan Zhemin, NJU President and Academician of CAS, hosted the opening ceremony.

Speech by Chey Tae-won

Speech by Yunkeum Chang

Speech by Kim Seong-Kyu

The Forum included keynote speeches and panel discussions. The keynote speech session was presided over by Park In-Kook, President of CIAS.

Park In-Kook presided over the keynote speech session.

Professor Jeff Hancock from Stanford University, delivered a keynote speech centered around the theme of “Artificial Intelligence and Future Communications.” He emphasized the importance of utilizing AI to augment human productivity while safeguarding against its potential adverse impacts on human interactions.

Honorary Professor Koichiro Inabata from Waseda University, presented on the topic of “Climate and Civilization.” He delved into the intricacies of culture and society, and explored how climatic factors have shaped the course of human civilization.

Luo Yimin, Former Vice Chairman of CPPCC Jiangsu Provincial Committee, delivered his keynote speech on “Zhang Jian and the Spirit of Jiangsu’s Merchants”. He proposed that five essential principles, patriotism, innovation, pragmatism, meticulousness and virtue, should be advocated for enterprises so enhance their overall performance.

Han Dongyu, Vice President of Northeast Normal University, shared his insights on “The Formation and Impact of Regional Public Goods.” He offered a comprehensive analysis of the features of regional public goods, and suggested potential pathways for improvement.

Professor Zhang Bowei from the School of Liberal Arts at Nanjing University illuminated the audience with his presentation titled “Bibliography and Philology—China, East Asia, Europe, and the United States.” He expounded on the core concepts, paradigms, practices and significance of philology and its future development.

The five panels focus on “Literature, Archeology, and Asian Civilization,” “Cultural and Trade Exchanges in Ancient Asia,” “Innovative Breakthroughs and Technological Progress in Asia,” “Asian Cultural Exchanges in the Age of Artificial Intelligence,” and “Entrepreneurial Spirit and Economic Development in Asia.” Scholars and experts engaged in in-depth discussions on these topics.

During the Forum period, Nanjing University signed Cooperation Agreements with Sookmyung Women’s University in South Korea.

The “Nanjing Forum,” which was initiated in 2015, has been held five times. It brings together domestic and international political figures, renowned scholars, technology and business leaders to share their insights and engage in dialogues. The forum aims to promote academic exchanges, contribute to local economic and social development, and serves as an important international engagement platform for Jiangsu Province and the city of Nanjing.

Writer: Jin Yue

Editor: Guo Ankang