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On 29 January, ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ Confucius Institute’s Chinese New Year celebrations kicked off with “Understanding China”, a one-hour online lecture by Professor Mark Buck, an expert in Western Culture and English Language and Literature from University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB).

Dr. Kate Gerrard, Executive Director of the Institute and Director of Faculty Operations of the School of Arts, Design and Humanities, ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ, introduced the honored guest speaker and extended thanks to all involved in the preparation.

Prof. Buck’s lecture explored how people of all cultures can look beyond their own assumptions and beliefs in order to understand other cultures. With a Ph.D. in history from Cambridge, he emphasized historical development and investigated the assumptions held by many in the West and in China about each other. 

The professor made it a point that a century of humiliation suffered by the Chinese can shed more light on the way they behave today. He suggested that “examining our respective histories is a fruitful starting point” to better mutual understanding. That will help his audience understand China’s assumptions and policies toward foreign countries. He also stressed that though Confucian values and Christian ones “overlap to a significant extent,” China prioritizes a culture of respect while the West a culture of debate.

The audience was greatly intrigued by the lecture and kept sharing their positive feedbacks. In the live Q&A at the end, the audience posed quite a few questions about China’s religion, values, Chinese language as well as its international partnerships. Prof. Buck’s insightful responses to the questions left many in quest of the recording of the lecture.

Dr Yingjun Yang, the Chinese Director of the CI concluded the event with thanks to Prof. Buck, USTB, ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ Global and the audience and wished all a happy Chinese New Year.