Over 100 experts and scholars from more than 30 universities gathered at Shanghai Jiao Tong University from May 24 to 26 to attend the symposium on “Local and Global: International Translation and Dissemination of Chinese Marxism”. The conference was jointly organized by the School of Foreign Languages of SJTU, the School of Humanities of SJTU, the National Image and Urban Culture Innovation Research Base of SJTU, the School of Marxism of SJTU, and the School of Marxism of Shanghai University and the Editorial Board of the Journal of Shanghai University (Social Science Edition), and China International Communications Group Academy of Translation and Interpretation.

 

 

Zhou Cheng, Deputy Party Secretary of SJTU, pointed out that the convening of this academic conference was an important exploration in the field of international translation and dissemination of Chinese Marxism, and was also of great significance to the development of Marxism theory research and humanities and social sciences at SJTU.

 

 

Zhao Qizheng, former director of the Information Office of the State Council, pointed out that the  dissemination of Chinese Marxism to the outside world and the telling of the great achievements made by China under the leadership of the CPC to the world was a great task and a glorious mission, and that translators should make great efforts and consciously shoulder a sense of historical responsibility.

 

 

Chang Hui, dean of the School of Foreign Languages of SJTU, Han Zhenjiang, vice dean of the School of Humanities of SJTU, and Bao Jin, vice dean of the School of Marxism of SJTU, on behalf of their respective schools, reported the achievements of the development of respective disciplines in recent years, and also introduced the important roles played by each school in the international translation and dissemination of Chinese Marxism.

 

 

After the opening ceremony, the conference entered the keynote speech session.

 

 

Prof. Chen Xueming of Fudan University pointed out that when disseminating contemporary Chinese Marxism to foreign countries, one should never only talk about oneself, but should fully consider the extent of the local needs of the theory being disseminated.

 

 

Liu Kang, a visiting professor at SJTU and a professor at Duke University, interpreted Chinese Marxism from the perspective of ideological history, placing it in the context of a broader world Marxism, while choosing aesthetics as the base of observation. In comparing with its “Western counterparts”, Liu Kang emphasized the great innovative significance of Yan'an literature and art.

 

 

Prof. Wang Ning of SJTU stressed the importance of constructing a national image in an all-round way, in which translation played an invaluable role. At the same time, the construction of national image called for emphasis upon various discourse media, such as language, image and lingua franca. 

 

 

Prof. Zhang Fugui of Jilin University strongly urged that in the process of interpretation and dissemination of Chinese knowledge from “local” to “global”, great attention must be paid to the issue of value orientation, and Chinese humanities academics must adhere to the concept of “common values for all mankind”.

 

 

Prof. Hu Yamin of Central China Normal University pointed out that international perspective and differentiated research were the main ways for Chinese forms to speak to the world, and believed that Chinese and foreign scholars stood on the same starting line in the journey of reconstructing the theoretical map today.

 

 

Prof. Zhu Guohua of East China Normal University argued that the Western perspective in accepting Chinese Marxism was “otherness”, while China's acceptance of Western Marxist theory was “cognition”.

 

 

Prof. Li Zhengshuan of Hebei Normal University gave a speech entitled "Overseas Translation and Dissemination of Mao Zedong's Poetry", in which he took Mao Zedong's poems as an important case study for the dissemination of Marxism, and pointed out that there were two ways for the international dissemination of Mao Zedong's poems. 

 

 

Prof. Shen Xiangping of Beijing Normal University believed that understanding and promoting the common values of all mankind faced a narrative problem, and the general principle to solve it was to tell the story of “all mankind” with a more conscious vision of all mankind.

 

 

According to Prof. Zeng Jun of Shanghai University, the concept of “Aesthetic Marxism” was expected to open up a new research space for exploring “Marxism and Aesthetics”.

 

 

In the afternoon of the 25th, four sub-forums were held, with the themes of “Mutual Learning of Civilizations on Xi Jinping's Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in the New Era”, “International Translation and Dissemination of Chinese Marxism”, “Global Influence and Dissemination of Ma Zedong Thought, the Chinese Marxism", and ‘The Ideological Origins of Western Marxism and Socialism with Chinese Characteristics’. After the sub-forum, the conference continued with a roundtable forum on “Rethinking the Research Paradigm of Modern Chinese Literature”.

On the morning of 26th, the fifth sub-forum “Modern French Left-wing Thought and Chinese Aesthetic Marxism” was successfully held, and the conference was successfully concluded. Prof. Liu Kang, Director of National Image and Urban Culture Innovation Research Base of SJTU, concluded that we should not forget the original aspiration, but should keep in mind our mission, and that the original aspiration and mission of Chinese Marxism was the guiding program for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and we should carry out in-depth research on Chinese Marxism under the guidance of the program.