Confucius Institute at Georgia State University Holds “Studying in China and Learning Chinese with Fun” Lecture Series

Sharing Experiences of Studying in China: Immersive Learning Improves Communication Capability

On February 12th, the first lecture of “Studying in China and Learning Chinese with Fun” Lecture Series organized by the Confucius Institute at Georgia State University (GSU) was delivered at the International Center. Over 50 teachers and students of GSU attended the lecture. Maggie Wedeman, Member of the National Committee on United States-China Relations, served as the keynote speaker upon invitation.

Maggie Wedeman was awarded the 2016-2017 Schwarzman scholarship and she has been studying and living in China for many years. Every year “Schwarzman Scholars” program offers scholarship to the most excellent applicants from around the world to study for Master’s Degree in China, aiming to prepare the new generation of global leaders in the 21st century.

Maggie Wedeman giving a lecture

In her lecture, Maggie Wedeman fully recognized China’s rapid economic development, which has brought about tremendous changes to people’s life and considerable job opportunities in large enterprises and multinational corporations. When sharing her experience of learning Chinese, she said that she has benefited greatly from the “immersive learning”. She thought that learning methods vary from person to person but communicating with native Chinese speakers is definitely an important way to improve Chinese language ability.

In the interaction session, Maggie Wedeman answered the questions raised by the students with great patience. She encouraged young people to study in China to enrich their life experiences. The humorous way Maggie Wedeman presented her speech has also won her rounds of applause from the audience.

After the lecture, Kimberly Henshaw, the US Managing Director of the Confucius Institute, expressed gratitude to Maggie Wedeman for her excellent speech and to the present audience. She expressed that the Confucius Institute would seek more overseas exchange and scholarship programs, enabling more people to experience the joy of “studying in China and learning Chinese with fun”.

keynote speaker, other guests and staff of the Confucius Institute

Learning Chinese in depth and understanding traditional Chinese Confucianism

On March 8th, the second lecture titled “On Power Aesthetics from the Perspective of Confucianism” of the “Studying in China and Learning Chinese with Fun” Lecture Series was held at the International Center. The lecture was hosted by Kimberly Henshaw, Managing Director of the Confucius Institute at Georgia State University and Chinese Director Zhu Shu.

The keynote speaker of the lecture was James Garrison, Associate Professor of Scripps College. During his study in China, he had taken courses in Chinese philosophy at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Peking University.

James Garrison delivering a lecture

Proceeding from Foucault's concept of power, James Garrison introduced post-constructivism theory and combined the influential Confucianism with the philosophical perspectives of Nietzsche and Foucault of the West in his lecture. He gave an in-depth explanation of the concept “Li” in Confucianism, pointing out that “Li” enables every individual in the society to develop awareness of social norms through the implementation of the rules of etiquette. As a result, individuals in the society will be recognized by the society, gain autonomy and become more resilient in the society.

He also pointed out that the concepts of power displayed in the Confucian classics enjoy aesthetic features. The rapid development of modern society necessitates the reflection about the current individual and society patterns, while the traditional Chinese Confucianism has provided unique insights into rites and self-cultivation.

Audience listening attentively

In the interaction session, James Garrison mentioned that the in-depth learning and exchanges during his study in China have allowed him to develop a deeper understanding of traditional Chinese Confucianism. The thoughts and implications of “Li” and “Yue” philosophy and the underlying codes of social conduct are still instructive to today’s social management concepts and system building. His distinctive but humorous speech fully exemplified the old adage that you can hardly find a place to stand if you don't learn etiquettes.

After the lecture, Kimberly Henshaw thanked James Garrison for his fantastic speech, which has opened a door for the audience to get to know Chinese philosophy.

Keynote speaker and audience

Kimberly expressed that the Confucius Institute will continue to host activities that show Chinese thoughts and Chinese splendid history and culture so that more people can experience the joy of “studying in China and learning Chinese with fun”.