On May 22, 2019, a symposium was organized by China-Africa Institute and the Institute of West-Asian and African Studies (IWAAS), Chinses Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), to study President Xi Jinping’s speech in the gathering marking the centenary of the May Fourth Movement. Guo Hong, Secretary of the Party Committee of IWAAS and Vice President of China-Africa Institute, was present at the symposium, in which all youth scholars and experts on Middle Eastern and African Studies from IWAAS participated. Professor Wang Lincong, Deputy Director of IWAAS and Vice President of China-Africa Institute, presided over the symposium.
At the beginning of the symposium, Professor Wang Lincong said that China-Africa Institute and IWAAS took the study of President Xi’s speech so seriously that they had sent materials and organized study before the symposium. He hoped youth representatives to have in-depth discussions on their inspirations combining with their own work after the study of President Xi’s speech; and to carry forward spirit of May Fourth Movement as well as to show youth styles with actions in their future work, especially during the key moment of the establishment and development of China-Africa Institute.
Several youth representatives and experts spoke and shared their impressions of the study.
Associate Professor Liu Dong introduced the historical background of the May Fourth Movement and the connotation of patriotism, democracy and science in its spirits, and interpreted Dewey’s relevant academic viewpoints. He said that China had been no longer poor and weak, and thus youth researchers should aspire to solve social problems raised by the time, practice the scientific spirit, overcome difficulties with courage and perseverance, and make constant innovations in their works.
Combined with his recent work--reviewing the studies of African politics within China’s African Studies for 70 years, Assistant Researcher Shen Xiaolei talked about how the African Studies should be done in China and what direction to do under the new historical conditions. Seizing the opportunity of the establishment of China-Africa Institute, he would continue to carry out in-depth researches on basic issues and theories, and make systematic researches conscientiously.
Assistant Researcher Zhou Jinyan said that patriotism should be combined with President Xi’s proposal of building a community of shared future for mankind, which meant to consider other countries’ reasonable concerns in one’s own pursuit of interests, and to promote joint development of all countries in the seeking of one’s own development. Our country had provided youth scholars with unprecedentedly broad stage, and the establishment of China-Africa Institute showed that the Party Central Committee paid high attention to African Studies. Youth scholars should throw themselves into African regional and country-specific studies with strong patriotic feelings as well as a strong sense of social responsibility.
Assistant Researcher Deng Yanting thought that China’s development since May Fourth Movement could be divided into three stages: seeking dreams, pursuing dreams and achieving dreams. In the present era, we should grasp the historical situation that “the world is undergoing changes unseen in a century”, the current trend that “China has never been so close to the world stage” and the general trend of China’s reform and development; seize the historical opportunity of the establishment of China-Africa Institute; and do well in our research work.
Assistant Research Fellow Zhao Yating talked about her impressions from the study of President Xi’s speech: first, to deepen our patriotism and cultivate the patriotic feelings; second, to aim high and play the mission of the age; third, to strengthen ideological cultivation and struggle with the endeavor. A youth CPC member should be diligent in study, have a down-to-earth attitude and the courage to innovate, bravely shoulder the responsibility of the era and untiringly struggle with patriotism, lofty ideals as well as good cultivations, making the spirit of May Fourth Movement shine forever.
Zhang Ying thought that contemporary youth, for one thing, should be ambitious, and “all they need was to leap forward and fly high”, “so they can create environments and conquer history”; for another, they should have “spirits of independence and thoughts of freedom”, only rely on the reality rather than blindly follow books or obeying the authorities, adhere to the principle of Seeking Truth from Facts, and view the development of things with dialectical materialism. We should stick to the unity of knowing and doing, enhance understandings of our country and the society in practice, and devote ourselves to realize the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Assistant Researcher Wei Liang criticized those thoughts without firm conviction and blind faiths in foreign things. He thought that the most important requirement for doing academic research well and showing patriotism was to set up firm ideals and convictions, adhere to the right academic direction, and do the groundwork well and solidly. With the opportunity of the establishment of China-Africa Institute, We should carry forward the spirit of May Fourth Movement and constantly struggle ahead.
Dr. Zhi Yuchen said that, through the study of President Xi’s speech, he strengthened his communism beliefs and got new thinking on life goals and the directions of struggle. In the present era, the meaning of struggle was to improve ourselves in a persistent way, to accumulate and make it perfect little by little according to the pre-designed blueprint and plans. In addition, Struggle meant to overcome difficulties rather than be afraid of them; to keep studying, self-improving, and endeavoring to break new ground.
Professor Yang Baorong, Deputy Director of the Division of African Studies in IWAAS, reviewed how the leaders of IWAAS had cared for the youth and paid attention to the growth of youth scholars. Combined with the evolution of mainstream academic viewpoints in the international African Studies for decades, he proposed that, during academic researches, youth scholars should adhere to the right and solid style of studying and writing, stick to the hard-working spirit, and persist in the attitude of steadiness and prudence, in order to make good academic achievements in the process of accumulation.
Other participants, including Assistant researcher Guo Jia and Liu Linzhi, respectively raised new requirements for their own work combing with their understanding of the May Fourth Movement.
At the end of the symposium, Guo Hong said that the youth, as the hope and future of China, ought to firm their ideals and foster great ambitions. In the area of academic research, they should view and research problems in a historical, objective and long-term perspective, striving to be outstanding contemporary youth scholars. Under the current circumstances, what the youth needed were strong patriotic feelings, and the combination of self-development with their careers and the development of China-Africa Institute and IWAAS. In addition, in order to be strivers in the new era for China, they should be bold in overcoming difficulties, making innovations, taking responsibilities and doing researches well, being out of their “comfort zone” and “raising difficulties for themselves”, as well as improving their own standards and requirements. Besides, the youth scholars should aspire to be down-to-earth and professional, not care too much for their own interests. She also wished the youth could perform better in their works.
The symposium was successfully concluded.