International Symposium on Japanese Studies in East Asia Successfully Held by School of Japanese Studies

On March 11, 2023, the East Asia Japanese Studies International Academic Symposium was successfully held. The symposium was hosted by the School of Japanese Studies (SJS) of Shanghai International Studies University with co-organizers from Nagoya University and the College of Foreign Languages (CFL) of Donghua University. The symposium was divided into two themed sections – “Languages and Language Education in East Asia” and “Literature, Culture, and Thought in East Asia” – and was conducted entirely online. More than 60 experts, scholars, and postgraduate students from six universities in China and Japan participated in the symposium.

The opening ceremony was presided over by Professor Sheng Wenzhong of SJS. Professor Gao Jie as Dean of SJS, Professor Yasushi Sugimura of Nagoya University, and Professor Zhao Xiaolin as Dean of the CFL of Donghua University delivered opening speeches respectively.

The symposium held a total of 22 presentations, covering various fields such as Sino-Japanese language and translation studies, Chinese and Japanese literature and comparative literary studies, East Asian society and cultural studies, and Japanese language education research. These selected topics highlighted the theme of East Asia and a global perspective. Experts and scholars at the symposium engaged in in-depth exchanges and discussions on cutting-edge issues in their respective fields, creating a strong and enthusiastic atmosphere. The closing ceremony was presided over by Professor Chen Yue'e of the CFL of Donghua University, and Professor Yasushi Sugimura of Nagoya University delivered the closing speech.

This symposium was the ninth conference jointly organized by Shanghai International Studies University, Nagoya University, and Donghua University. It was a new attempt by SJS to actively promote academic exchanges between China and Japan during the post-pandemic era. It was also an important initiative for SJS to deeply implement the university's Double First-Class construction strategy and to promote interdisciplinary research development in Japanese language, literature, and regional and state studies. The successful host of this symposium played a positive role in broadening the academic horizons of teachers and students and promoting international academic exchanges.