On May 27 and 28, the 2017 Cross-Strait High-level Forum on Foreign Language and Cultures took place at CFLC. The forum brought together scholars and academics from Peking University, Tamkang University, Xi’an Foreign Studies University, Inner Mongolia Normal University, and Xiamen University

At the opening ceremony of the Forum on May 27, Xiamen University Vice President Zhan Xinli extended a warm welcome to the participants. She briefly introduced the history, educational philosophy and future development goals of Xiamen University. She stated that the Forum provided a valuable opportunity for CFLC to learn from universities in not only mainland China but also Taiwan. She also expressed her hopes that universities across the Taiwan Strait would collaborate closely with one another in the fields of foreign languages and literatures.

The keynote speech of the Forum was moderated by Professor Li Shujing, vice dean of the School of Foreign Languages at Peking University. In the keynote speech, Professor Chen Xiaoque of Tamkang University shared his insights into the codes of lust in “Chocolate Lovers”, analyzed the descriptions of grinding mortars in the novel, and probed the concealed codes of lust contained in these descriptions.

Professor Ning Qi of Peking University explored the dilemmas, opportunities, innovations, reforms and developments of foreign language programs in China. She also discussed the paths forward for these programs.

Professor Zhang Longhai of Xiamen Universityexplored how Chinese-American writer Zhao Jianxiu molded the image of Guan Gong from an aesthetic perspective, and how this particular image embodied the writer’s personal anxiety about society and the era.

Forum participants were divided into five groups for discussionaccording to the subjects, which included “New Thinking in British and American Literature”, “Linguistics and Translation Research Review, “Teaching Methodology”, and “Research on Non-English Languages and Literatures”.

A total of 65 academics and students from major colleges and universities in the country attended the Forum and presented a paper. The participating professors shared their latest research and paper writing tips with students.

The forum for 2018 will be staged at Tamkang University in Taiwan.

The forum has its roots in the Peking University-Tamkang University Symposium on Foreign Languages and Literatures, which was inaugurated in 2006. Over the past ten years, Peking University, Tamkang University, Shihezi University, East China Normal University, Yanbian University, the Taiyuan University of Technology, and other institutions have hosted the forum. The annual forum brings together scholars and academics from across the Taiwan Strait.

It is the first time for Xiamen University to host the forum since its name was changed to “Cross-Strait High-level Forum on Foreign Languages and Literatures”. The forum plays a significant role in enhancing academic exchanges between mainland Chinese and Taiwanese universities.