From July 7 to 22, 2024, the two-week “Jilin University–Rutgers University Philosophy Summer School” program was brought to a successful conclusion. During the program, twelve students from the School of Philosophy and Sociology, accompanied by two faculty advisors, Professor Li Long and Mr. Zhang Xinyao, not only took part in a rich variety of academic activities and studied a wide range of courses that were both profound in content and broad in coverage, but also engaged in cultural activities such as visiting Princeton University and exploring nearby cities like New York, yielding fruitful and valuable results.
Rutgers University attached great importance to this program. Professor Eric (Rick) Garfunkel, Senior Vice President for Global Affairs at Rutgers, attended the launch ceremony in person, and Professor Karen Benett, Chair of the Department of Philosophy at Rutgers, gave her full support by inviting a number of world-renowned philosophers to offer a total of 17 substantial courses.
During the first week of the exchange, the students took a rich variety of courses covering contemporary political philosophy, philosophy of language, ethics, epistemology, Enlightenment philosophy, and more. They experienced the teaching styles of many high-level, internationally leading philosophers, including Department Chair Professor Karen Benett, senior Professor Trip McCrossin, and Argentine-born Professor Juan Comesaña. These courses, novel in content, broad in scope, and lucidly explained, enhanced the students’ academic abilities and broadened their theoretical horizons. Most importantly, the Rutgers professors placed great emphasis on and encouraged students’ classroom questions and interactions, resulting in a very lively classroom atmosphere. The students eagerly asked questions and actively exchanged ideas, leaving a deep impression on the professors, who spoke very highly of their performance. In addition to the intensive academic schedule, during the first week the students also experienced the campus scenery of Rutgers University, visited Princeton University, and traveled to New York City over the weekend for cultural activities. These varied academic and cultural engagements gave the students a more direct experience of and deeper insight into American campus life and culture.
The second week of the exchange was equally rich and diverse. The students attended lectures on many topics, including history of philosophy, philosophy of religion, philosophy of art, and philosophy of mind, as well as learning about some interdisciplinary subjects such as decision theory. The theoretical breadth and depth of these lectures allowed the students to become more familiar with the latest developments and advances in contemporary philosophy, gain a better understanding of the distinctive style and thought of American philosophy, and acquire a fuller appreciation of the topics, research approaches, and methods that concern philosophical research abroad. In the final presentations, the students, within a limited time, focused on issues of their own concern and integrated their reflections from the two-week learning process, delivering their presentations entirely in English. These presentations superbly demonstrated the students’ substantial achievements and solid academic grounding from the exchange program, reflected the distinctive quality and level of undergraduate education at Jilin University’s School of Philosophy and Sociology, and left a very deep impression on the evaluating professors at Rutgers.
Rutgers University, referred to as RU or Rutgers, and officially known as Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, traces its origins to Queen’s College, founded in 1766. It is a world-renowned top-tier public research university and the largest institution of higher education in New Jersey, with an academic reputation second only to Princeton University in the state. In the 2024 QS World University Rankings by Subject, Rutgers’ philosophy program was ranked 3rd in the world.
Jilin University and Rutgers University share a long tradition of cooperation. This exchange with Rutgers further consolidated the friendship between the two universities. Through learning and engaging with world-renowned scholars, the program successfully deepened philosophy students’ understanding of cutting-edge issues and the current state of philosophical research worldwide, and showcased the excellence of the students from Jilin University’s School of Philosophy and Sociology. The exchange itinerary was tightly scheduled and rich in content, revolving around lectures on various philosophical theories that spanned a wide range of highly specialized fields, greatly benefiting the students. This philosophy summer school was also an important initiative of our school to promote the internationalization of talent cultivation, further expanding the school’s international influence and raising the quality of our talent training.
