At 9 a.m. on October 8th, accompanied by the autumn rain, professor Shuneng Zhong, dean of the college, gave the first ideological and political course to all the new graduate students of class 2021. Around the theme of “Exploring Chinese cultural genes and persisting in cultural confidence”, Dean Zhong explained some topics to the students like “why do we persist in cultural confidence?”, “historical origin of the name of China”, “definition of traditional Chinese culture”, “relationship between culture and civilization” and “three important parts of Chinese culture”. In the exposition of these topics, professor Zhong blended in quite a lot of examples. With the humorous teaching style, the overall classroom atmosphere was active. Students listened with relish and did not forget to take notes carefully.

Pic.1 Professor Zhong explained to the students “Why do we insist on cultural confidence?”

Pic.2 Professor Zhong explained the origin of “the name of China”

Pic.3 At the end of the course, professor Zhong put forward some thoughts on Chinese culture

In this ideological and political course, Dean Zhong focused on the three most important parts of Chinese culture, namely, the clan concept of the Chinese nation, the Doctrine of the Mean and Chinese religion, which complement each other and jointly embody the spiritual core of Chinese culture. Dean Zhong stressed that Chinese traditional culture is “people-oriented”, an important characteristic of Chinese culture different from other national cultures. The humanistic spirit is the essence of Chinese culture at the same time. Students need adhere to cultural self-confidence because it is the most important soft power except the science and technology, and national defense, which plays a decisive role in the embodiment of national comprehensive strength.

At the end of the course, Dean Zhong put forward some thoughts on Chinese culture to the students. First, Chinese culture has constructed the history of Chinese civilization for five thousand years, which shows its excellent and resilient cultural genes. Second, what are Chinese cultural genes? There is no doubt that the characteristics of “diversity, harmony and unity” have shaped Chinese cultural genes. Thirdly, in the long process of cultural evolution, only the “alloy” culture forged in multiple forms can have longer endurance and vitality, and only culture with a long life can create a brilliant and colorful civilization. In addition, culture must survive and thrive in a particular geography, nation, age, and believer. Finally, the goal of one culture going out is to get along with other cultures.

Dean Zhong hoped that every graduate student present could make good use of what they have learned, write and translate traditional Chinese culture, inherit the millennium-old culture of the Chinese nation, and become an excellent disseminator of China’s stories.

(Written by Yuqing Cui and photographed by Yongqiu Yang)