From September 26 to 27, the 10th anniversary symposium of the ” South China Quarterly – Journal of University of Macau” was hosted by the Institute of Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences (IAS) at the university gallery (E1). Experts and scholars from institutions such as the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Tsinghua University, Renmin University of China, Shandong University, and Sun Yat-sen University, as well as those from within the university, attended the symposium and participated in themed discussions.

As 2024 marks the 10th anniversary of the journal’s founding, the challenge faced is how to continue and innovate, creating an international journal with more distinct characteristics and higher academic standards. The symposium, themed “Making Chinese scholarship global. An international journal for the Chinese academic community.” responded to this challenge.

Vice Rector Ge Wei affirmed the journal’s positioning, philosophy, and development strategy in his opening speech: “As a university journal using Chinese as an international academic language, South China Quarterly’ advances alongside and complements the university’s policies of internationalization.” He expressed hope for the journal’s future, wishing it to continue embodying the “craftsmanship spirit of meticulous writing” and become an academic hallmark of the University of Macau, contributing continuously to the international Chinese academic community.

Professor Lin Shaoyang, as the chief editor representing the editorial team, reviewed the journal’s past, summarized recent reforms in its operational model and editorial system, and explained the profound meaning of ” Making Chinese scholarship global. An international journal for the Chinese academic community.”

Experts and scholars from within and outside the university shared insights from academic perspectives and work experiences, discussing the problems and challenges encountered in running journals and offering insightful discussions on achieving “internationalization” and “interdisciplinarity.” Building an international Chinese academic community and advancing the internationalization process of Chinese scholarship is not only the journal’s philosophy but also the direction for long-term efforts in the future.

A joint lecture organized by the Institute of Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences (IAS) and the Faculty of Law (FLL) was successfully held on May 10, 2024. The lecture was titled “Arbitration Across Human Faculties and Human Societies: A Three-Dimensional Epistemological Analysis” and was delivered by Professor Fan Kun from the University of New South Wales. Professor Yu Xingzhong, Director of IAS and Chair Professor of the Faculty of Law, acted as the moderator.

In this lecture, Prof. Fan highlighted the research background and importance of it. She firstly introduced the origin and development of “arbitration”, and mentioned the hot topics of “arbitration” discussed at both the practical and academic levels. While traditional scholars’ discussion of arbitration always centers on legal procedures and institutions, Prof. Fan believes that it is equally important to consider the broader cultural, social and historical dimensions. She pointed out that the legal tradition of Western societies has provided a philosophical foundation for arbitration, allowing it to develop into a form of settlement based on common rationality and objective rules. However, if we look at a country like China, it is difficult to find the concept of “arbitration” reflected in its history. Prof. Fan then presented a more inclusive theoretical framework, distinguishing between Western and Chinese interpretations of “arbitration”, with the Western side emphasizing rationality and the Chinese side focusing on harmony. Prof. Fan also discussed the difference between legal and moral civil order, the status and importance of arbitrators in arbitration, and the practical value of this theoretical framework. Finally, Prof. Fan concluded that China is actively participating in dispute resolution reforms, and that the combination of mediation and arbitration is becoming more and more accepted around the world, and that the future of arbitration will be a globalized process, in which global norms will embrace local traditions.

In the discussion session, the professors discussed issues such as “whether glocalization is a cultural competition”, “the real use cases of the three-dimensional epistemological framework and the impact on China’s arbitration mechanism”. Prof. Fan argued that arbitration is an arbitration of the parties and that user expectations should be taken into account in the arbitration process. The inclusion of arbitrators from different cultural backgrounds has led to an inclusiveness of some disagreements. Prof. Yu, on the other hand, used a photo he once saw to explain the current state of law in China today, with feudal elements as well as modern and post-modern elements, which is ultimately a kind of fusion. Prof. Fan also agreed that arbitration reflects some Chinese traditions in the context of prevailing globalization.

The lecture attracted students and faculty members from different fields and backgrounds, and the audience demonstrated a high level of interest and engagement.