Special Event

China and the West

International Research Conference “China and The West”

October 25-26th, 2012

Summary: “China and The West: Two Cultures, One Civilization?” is organized by Stony Brook’s Institute for Global Studies (SBIGS) and the Confucius Institute. Convened by Wolf Schäfer, SBIGS, and Ruan Wei, Shenzhen University, the conference will bring nine Asian scholars to Stony Brook for an initial discussion of Chinese perspectives on civilization and culture. A second part of this conference with a focus on Western perspectives is planned for 2013 at Shenzhen University. The conference is open to the public.

Each of the meetings will discuss the research papers of 10 participants. The conveners have discussed the conference topic from complementary points of view, see RUAN Wei, “Civilization and Culture”¹ and Wolf SCHÄFER, “Global Civilization and Local Cultures.”² The contributions to China and the West will be published in 2013/14 with SUNY Press in a co-edited volume in the new SBIGS series Pangaea II: Global/Local Studies.

China and the West is sponsored by the Confucius Institute at Stony Brook, the Stony Brook Institute for Global Studies (SBIGS), Shenzhen University, Nanjing University, and University of Hong Kong.

Program Schedule:

Thursday, October 25^th

9:00AM - 9:45AM	Welcoming Remarks Dr. W. Arens, Dean, International Academic Programs; Director, Confucius Institute at Stony Brook University Dr. A. Drees, Vice Provost, Stony Brook University Dr. W. Schäfer, Director, Stony Brook Institute for Global Studies Dr. W. Ruan, Director, Center for Western Studies, University of Shenzhen
9:45AM - 10:00AM	Coffee/Tea Break

Session 1: “Power” chaired by Yuefan Deng, Stony Brook University

10:00AM - 11:00AM	Wei Ruan, Shenzhen University: “Power Shifts in Civilizational Interactions”
11:00AM - 12:00PM	Lixin Tang, Shenzhen University: “The Cultural Dimension of Global Governance and China's Role”
12:00PM - 1:30PM	Lunch

Session 2: “Values” chaired by Eng Kiong Tan, Stony Brook University

2:00PM - 3:00PM	Shijian He, Shenzhen University: “A Century of Changes: From Westernization to Universal Values”
3:00PM - 4:00PM	Quingshen Tong, University of Hong Kong: “Towards a Common Civilization: G. Lowes Dickinson, China, and Global Humanism”
4:00PM - 4:15PM	Coffee/Tea Break
4:15PM - 5:15PM	Wolf Schäfer, Stony Brook University: “An Alternative View of Civilization” Chaired by Said Arjomand, Stony Brook University
6:00PM	Dinner

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Friday, October 26^th

Session 3: “Comparative Perspectives I” chaired by Agnes Weiyun He, Stony Brook University

9:45AM - 10:00AM	Coffee/Tea Break
10:00AM - 11:00AM	Dongming Zhao, Shenzhen University: "Discourse of the Absolute: Its Path-Shaping Function in Chinese and Western Cultural Developments”
11:00AM - 12:00PM	Jian Zhang, Beijing Foreign Studies University: “British-Chinese Cultural Encounters and Negotiations: Issues of Culture and Identity in William Empson’s “China Works”
12:00AM - 1:30PM	Lunch

Session 4: “Comparative Perspectives II” chaired by Janis Mimura, Stony Brook University

2:00PM - 3:00PM	Jianxin Ding, Sun Yat-sen University: “Culture as Social Semiotics: An Anthropological Interpretation of Hallidayan Linguistics”
3:00PM - 4:00Pm	Han Zhu (Michael Wu), Sinolizing Research Center, Hong Kong: “Civilization: Flat Model and Stratification Model”
4:00PM - 4:15PM	Coffee/Tea Break
4:15PM - 5:15PM	Suk-Man Hwang, Changwon National University, Korea: Comments, Observations, and Suggestions
5:15PM - 5:45PM	China and The West Part 2 chaired by Wei Ruan and Wolf Schäfer: Planning Discussion
7:00PM	Dinner

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Contact
Please e-mail your contact information to
E-mail: ConfuciusInstitute@notes.cc.sunysb.edu
Tel: 631-632-5476