To develop a first-class philosophy discipline and cultivate high-caliber talent with broad international perspectives and outstanding academic capabilities, and with the strong support of the “Jilin University–Oxford University Academic Partnership Program” from the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange, Professor Qu Hongmei’s team from the School of Philosophy and Sociology specially invited Professor Wen Xianqing from Hunan Normal University and Associate Professor Sheng Chuanjie from the School of Philosophy and Sociology to hold a series of online seminars from October to December 2023 with scholars including Professor Richard Sorabji, Fellow of the British Academy and Professor at the University of Oxford, and Dr. Amna Whiston, Lecturer at the University of Oxford. Several undergraduate students from the School of Philosophy and Sociology were also invited to participate.
The program was conducted online via the ZOOM platform under the theme “Practical Wisdom in Confucian Ethics and Aristotelian Ethics.” Centered on this theme, the Chinese and international participating faculty and students engaged in nine discussions on academic topics such as “Practical Wisdom in Aristotelianism and Neo-Aristotelianism,” “Practical Wisdom in Pre-Qin Confucian Philosophy,” “Practical Wisdom in Neo-Confucian Philosophy,” and “Comparative Philosophy between China and the West.” The discussions were lively and dynamic, and ultimately the participants reached a consensus on many levels, including “the similarities between Confucian practical wisdom and Aristotelian practical wisdom” and “the roles of emotion and reason in practical wisdom.”
In addition, master’s and doctoral students from Professor Qu Hongmei’s team and the international teaching assistant Virginie Simoneau-Gilbert had in-depth exchanges on research methods such as thesis writing and literature review composition, and also discussed the doctoral training models at the two universities, to the benefit of both sides.
Through nearly two months of study and exchange, the program not only significantly enhanced the mutual cultural understanding between Chinese and international faculty and students, but also effectively deepened both sides’ comprehension of Confucian philosophical texts and Aristotelian ethics. It not only comprehensively elevated the students’ international perspectives and research capabilities, but also strongly advanced the exchange and cooperation between Jilin University and the University of Oxford in the field of ethical studies. This academic partnership project holds great significance for enhancing students’ research skills and promoting the development of academic exchange.
