Young sinologists from 15 countries came to China for study and discussed the overseas influence of Chinese culture

International Online Report (Reporter Xiangyi): With the development of China's economy, more and more foreigners are learning Chinese and loving Chinese culture. The opening ceremony of the first "2014 Young Sinologist Training Program" jointly sponsored by the Chinese Ministry of Culture and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences was held in Beijing. A total of 18 outstanding young sinologists from 15 countries, including the United States, France, South Korea, and Bulgaria, came to China to discuss Chinese culture. Young sinologists believe that there are more and more foreigners learning Chinese at present, and in order to enhance the overseas influence of Chinese culture, Chinese cultural centers should be established abroad, more Chinese scholars should be allowed to give lectures overseas, and international students should be invited to China to experience Chinese culture.

At present, with the improvement of China's international status, Sinology is also heating up. Scholars in North America, Europe, East Asia, and different regions have set their sights on China, either indulging in traditional Chinese classic texts or focusing on various dimensions of China's contemporary development. The older generation of sinologists is old, and how to promote the younger generation of sinologists to understand China and improve the level of China's foreign cultural exchanges is the focus of attention of the current Chinese and foreign sinology circles.

Jin Na, 31 years old from Bulgaria who specializes in Cultural Exchanges between China and Bulgaria, said that more and more Bulgarians are studying Chinese, but most of them are mainly learning languages, people pay more attention to Chinese economy and society, and Chinese culture is broad and profound, in order to strengthen people's understanding of Chinese culture, it is necessary to let more Chinese professional scholars go to Bulgaria to introduce Chinese culture. "There are three universities in Bulgaria with Chinese departments, 20 people every year Chinese graduates, and although we are a small country, there are not many people who are willing to study Chinese. The Chinese cultural center is expected to be built and used in Bulgaria from the end of this year, I think it is more appropriate to use such an institution, Bulgaria also has a Confucius Institute, but it is mainly for languages, if you can hold a cultural center, then Chinese professors through cultural lectures, it is still more helpful to spread Chinese culture. In Bulgaria, people are looking at China's economic development, but they still don't have enough understanding of culture, philosophy, and need those who are engaged in professions to come to Bulgaria and help people understand culture. ”

Ko Young-hee, a 41-year-old postdoctoral researcher at Sungkyunkwan University's School of East Asian Studies in South Korea, who has been exposed to Chinese culture since high school, said she began to pay attention to Chinese society because Hong Kong songs were popular in South Korea. She believes that in the process of development, China's acceptance of Western ideas presents some localization characteristics, such as "public diplomacy", "deliberative democracy", "cultural soft power" and so on. In addition, there are also some discourses with Chinese characteristics, such as "governing the country with virtue", "harmonious society", and "harmony and difference". She believes that understanding the socio-cultural context of discourse with Chinese characteristics will help promote cross-cultural exchanges and communication between Korea and China in the future. She said that the establishment of confucius institutes will allow more Koreans to learn Chinese in terms of quantity, but more Korean students should be allowed to come to China to personally experience the historical context and enhance China's influence on foreign culture.

Gao Yingji said: "China has done a very good job in promoting Chinese more universally through Confucius Institutes than before. I think it's a better way to invite scholars and students to further their studies and give them a deeper understanding of China. Some chinese concepts are more complex to translate, just like Western texts are translated into Korean, and I think it takes a cumulative time to understand each other's problems. When I was in high school, Hong Kong movies were very popular, and my generation was very interested in Chinese songs and movies, studying Chinese culture, and at that time, Hong Kong music was more popular, and at that time it was Andy Lau's generation. ”

During the seminar, Li Yining will discuss with young sinologists on topics such as "China's Social Development Since Reform and Opening Up", Wang Meng's "Chinese Culture", Xu Yuanchong's "Translation of Chinese Works", and Ge Jianxiong's "The Formation of China and Its Territorial Changes". In addition, young sinologists will also visit the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the Palace Museum, and the National Art Museum of China for field investigation and discussion.

Ding Wei, vice minister of culture of China, said that this activity hopes to promote young sinologists' understanding of China, enhance the spread of China's foreign culture, and let the world understand China more objectively. "China is now developing more and more closely with the world, and a group of sinologists who have studied China's issues have played a very important role, and at present we need a group of young people, the new generation of sinologists, who can have a more comprehensive and objective understanding of all aspects of China's political economy and culture." In addition, there is also a focus in the training course, that is, to encourage them to translate Chinese and foreign works, especially the language of the country where the translator of Chinese contemporary works is located, and we will arrange key experts and departments to conduct direct exchanges. Enhance the spread of China's foreign culture, so that more people in the world can understand the current China. ”

The second workshop will be held in Beijing from September 2 to 24, when 40 young sinologists from various countries will come to China for study.