YCA Honorary Dean Yuan Ming Visits Shanghai International Studies University

On November 11, Yuan Ming, Honorary Dean of Yenching Academy of Peking University, joined a seminar with students and teachers at the Songjiang Campus of Shanghai International Studies University (SISU).

SISU President Li Yansong warmly received Professor Yuan Ming, who later participated in the seminar on “China and the world” in the Dome Hall at the University Library and Information Center.

Professor Yuan recalled sitting for the college entrance examination at SISU in 1962. She was impressed with the changes the University and China have experienced in the past six decades. Professor Yuan held no reservations about sharing her life experiences and academic achievements in the field of International Relations (IR) theories and history. She saw area studies as an interdisciplinary field.

The students raised questions on IR theories and knowledge structure, world order, global communication, and cross-cultural understanding. Professor Yuan Ming clarified all the questions and stressed the value of history and people in studying international relations. “Information cannot replace knowledge, and knowledge does not mean wisdom,” she highlighted. Professor Yuan admonished students to act in a way the youth of a responsible power should behave, engage in research, and address challenges confronting humankind in social realities. They can contribute to peace and development of humanity by telling China stories and having our country better known to the rest of the world.

Professor Yuan Ming also enjoyed a tour of the University Library and Information Center, the Museum of World Languages, and the Library of Special Collections from Asian Civilizations in the Institute for the Global History of Civilizations.