On March 30, 2026, against the backdrop of the 17th United Nations French Language Day, the World Language Museum of Shanghai International Studies University (SISU), together with the French Department, School of European Studies and the Quebec Research Center, co-hosted the opening ceremony of the photography exhibition “Quebec Through the Eyes of Four Photographers” and a celebration marking the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Quebec Research Center. The event received strong support from the Quebec Government Office in China. It brought together photographic art and cross-cultural dialogue to write a new chapter in cultural exchanges between China and French-speaking countries and regions. Bard Nordby, Director of the Quebec Government Office in China, and Zhao Fengchun, Education, Culture and Public Affairs Officer of the Quebec Government Office in Shanghai, made a special visit. Wang Xin, Vice President of SISU and Dean of the School of European Studies, Mao Xiaohong, Director of the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange, Wang Xuemei, Director of the World Language Museum, Wang Haizhou, Head of the French Department, School of European Studies, and Wang Beili, lecturer in the French program, attended the event as guests. Li Yan, Deputy Director of the World Language Museum, served as moderator. Opening the proceedings, Nordby delivered a speech and reviewed the 25-year history of cooperation between SISU and Quebec. He noted that SISU has built a strong academic foundation in Quebec studies and has made important contributions to the dissemination of Quebec culture in China. The exhibition brings together 28 works by four Quebec photographers, presenting the unique charm of Quebec in a comprehensive way. He particularly emphasized that French, as a cultural bond connecting people, needs to be cherished and protected by all parties. Quebec has always been at the forefront of promoting the spread and development of French around the world. Wang said in her speech that since establishing its French program in 1956, SISU has always taken serving national strategic needs as its mission. The university is committed to cultivating outstanding international talent with a global vision. Since its foundation 25 years ago, the Quebec Research Center has become an important platform for SISU’s academic exchanges and cultural dissemination with Canada. In the future, the university will fully leverage the platform advantages of the School of European Studies to deepen Quebec studies and promote practical cooperation with Quebec in academic research, faculty and student exchanges, and other fields. This will support the construction of the “dual peaks” in foreign language and literature and area/country studies, and continue to inject new momentum into cultural exchanges between China and French-speaking countries and regions. After the speeches, guests joined in a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the exhibition. The two sides exchanged gifts and posed for group photos. Entering the exhibition hall, the works of four photographers illustrate the rich and diverse charm of Quebec. Their lenses capture everything from urban streets to vast natural landscapes, and from everyday life to vivid cultural moments. Each photograph tells its own story and conveys a distinct sense of emotion. Light and shadow capture the myriad aspects of French culture. Twenty-five years of cultivation witness the enduring bond between SISU and Quebec. This event is not only a cross-border journey of visual art, but also a vivid practice of SISU’s educational philosophy of “interpreting the world and shaping the future” and its service to people-to-people exchanges between China and other countries. Looking ahead, SISU’s World Language Museum, the French Department of the School of European Studies, and the Quebec Research Center will take this as a new starting point. Through innovative and integrated initiatives, they will further leverage the synergy of their platforms to deepen work in language education, area studies, and cross-cultural communication. They will continue to expand faculty and students’ international perspectives and contribute high-quality academic achievements and cultural exchanges. This will empower SISU’s goal of cultivating outstanding talent, and make positive contributions to building SISU into a world-class foreign studies university with distinctive strengths in global, country and regional knowledge.
