“The Silent Language” | “Overtones of The Times”: the first season of “Knowledgeable of the Hua Yuan” book club series
time: 2023-09-26

On the afternoon of September 21, the first installment of the first season of the Knowledgeable of the Hua Yuan book club series, Overtones of The Times, was successfully held the schools fourth-floor library. Chen Gang, Dean of the School of Journalism and Communication, and Rui Jian, Professor of the Department of Internet and Communication, as well as all the first-year Ph.D. students and representatives of master’s students, participated in the book club activity, which was conducted by Rui Jian.


Chen Gang offered congratulations on the successful launch of the book club’s “Knowledgeable of the Hua Yuan” series. He said: “Reading is significant in three aspects today: it’s a primary means of gaining knowledge and broadening one’s horizon; a process of assimilating into civilization, integrating into human society, and gaining access to human wisdom; a crucial way to stay current on academic frontiers and to continue thinking.” He also expressed his hopes to encourage and inspire everyone to “read more books” and “read good books” through the “Knowledgeable of the Hua Yuan” series.

Professor Rui Jian, the host of the book club activity, presented the format of the Knowledgeable of the Hua Yuan series. According to him, the main members of any book club activity are a lecturer and an interlocutor who engage in a casual, laid-back state to share information and ideas. Moreover, he anticipated that every student may actively offer helpful suggestions for the book clubs advancement.

Zhou Fen, the lecturer this time, started from “The Silent Language” and shared “what is culture, “why should we understand other cultures? “how to understand cultural differences, and “how to understand other cultures. She held that culture presents the way of life of a nation  the attitudes and behavioral patterns that have permeated every facet of human civilization. Hall proposed the core theory that “culture is communication” in this context. In the framework of globalization, cultural differences will unavoidably mix. Comprehending other cultures will facilitate tolerance of differences and mutual learning. Through the three levels of culture, “explicit culture, “implicit culture,” and “technological culture, one can better understand cultural differences. Finally, Zhou cited Berry’s cross-cultural adaptation strategy in response to the query “how to be cross-cultural. People should remain open and tolerant of other cultures while retaining their own cultural identity and traits. This approach to cultural preservation was especially helpful for personal development.

The interlocutor, He Jingjing, asserted that cultural differences are frequently linked to the evolution of politics and economies, as well as to the social structure and customs of other nations. She provided several pertinent examples to support this. On the subject of How to understand cultural differences from the standpoint of their own experiences, participants added to and shared ideas. Among them, Zheng Yang shared examples of cultural differences between China and Europe with his experience studying abroad. Rui Jian recounted his own experience of working and living abroad. With lively and logical discussions, the first phase of Knowledgeable of the Hua Yuan came to a triumphant conclusion.

Reportedly, authors and translators of famous works will be invited on a regular basis to take part in book club activities and discuss the subjects and points of view in the books with students in person. The “Knowledgeable of the Hua Yuan” series is based on the Greater Bay Area as well as domestic and international markets, aiming to become a well-known and respected book club brand.