On October 16, the fourth session of the “IAS X Interdisciplinary Academic Party,” organized by the Institute of Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences (IAS) at the University of Macau, was successfully held in the lobby of the Cultural Building. The theme of this session was ‘Cultural Deficiencies in Academic Publishing,’ featuring Prof. Shoutong Zhu, Distinguished Professor of the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at FAH and Director of the Centre for Chinese History and Culture, as the speaker. Prof. Jie Xu, Dean of FAH, Distinguished Professor of the Department of Chinese Language and Literature, and Director of the Centre for Linguistics and the Confucius Institute, served as the discussant. The event was moderated by Prof. Xingzhong Yu, Chair Professor of the Faculty of Law and Director of IAS.

Prof. Zhu first introduced the “Humanistic Epidemic” concept, pointing out that modern academia often focuses excessively on superficial phenomena, neglecting core values. He emphasized that scholars are responsible for counteracting this trend and avoiding sensationalism in academic publishing. He further stressed that scholars should remain humble and well-prepared in academic conferences to prevent “humanistic flaws” at both the human and academic levels, such as self-aggrandizement or disrespecting the audience. Prof. Zhu asserted that only by maintaining a gentlemanly demeanour can the healthy development of both academics and culture be truly promoted.

Following this, the professors engaged in a thorough discussion on the core of interdisciplinary research, the writing of academic papers, and cultural deficiencies across different disciplines, based on questions collected in advance. Prof. Xu highlighted that interdisciplinary research should be problem-oriented rather than interdisciplinary for its own sake. Scholars should naturally introduce multidisciplinary perspectives based on specific phenomena to achieve collaborative innovation. Prof. Zhu noted that while different disciplines have varying interpretations of cultural deficiencies, scholars, regardless of their field, should maintain a “gentle and modest” attitude to foster a healthy academic environment. The professors collectively agreed that papers should prioritize the reader’s comprehension, and scholars should empathize with their audience to enhance the readability of their work.

In the final Q&A session, participants actively asked questions, engaging in dialogues on topics such as interdisciplinary education and academic rigour. One student raised the issue of the contradiction between the promotion of liberal education at universities and the emphasis on specialization in further studies. The professors responded that interdisciplinary education should be adaptable and not rigid; it should be tailored to individual resources and research needs. The lively interaction between faculty and students created a vibrant and in-depth academic exchange, demonstrating a strong spirit of scholarly engagement.

The IAS Interdisciplinary Academic Party series aims to foster academic interactions among scholars and students, promote interdisciplinary collaboration, and encourage academic innovation and exploration. This session attracted nearly 100 participants from diverse academic backgrounds, creating a lively atmosphere that laid a solid foundation for future academic collaborations and cross-disciplinary exchanges.

On September 27 2024, Lecture on Frontiers in Humanities was successfully held at University Gallery Auditorium, jointly organized by the Institute of Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences (IAS) of University of Macau, the Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences and Chinese Business History cluster, the Department of History and the M.A. Programme in Comparative and Public History of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the MSc in Global China Studies program of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and the Chinese University of Hong Kong Press.

The theme of this lecture was “Morality, Rationality, and Legality of Modern Corporations: Tōkyō Kinkōdō and Shanghai Commercial Press (1875-1930).” It was convened by Professor Billy K. L. So, Fellow of the Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences, Visiting Fellow of the Faculty of Law at The University of Hong Kong, and Adjunct Chair Professor of the Faculty of Law at the University of Macau. Professor Shaoyang Lin, Distinguished Professor of the Department of History of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the University of Macau, Head of Academic Programme and Publication of IAS, Professor Ghassan Moazzin, Assistant Professor of Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Hong Kong and Professor Michael Ng, Associate Professor of the Faculty of Law of the University of Hong Kong, were invited as discussants. Professor Xingzhong Yu, Chair Professor at the Faculty of Law at the University of Macau and Director of IAS served as moderator.

Professor So first proposed how Chinese entrepreneurs interact with the new corporate regulations and company laws. He introduced the relevant history of the Commercial Press as one of the first registered limited companies in the late Qing Dynasty and Kinkōdō as the leading enterprise among the first batch of limited companies in the Meiji period. Professor So introduced the two corporations’ different management and business modes, drawing reasons and conclusions for Kinkōdō’s decline and the Commercial Press’s prosperity.

Professor Lin proposed the connections between the spread of printing technology to Europe, the rise of Protestantism, the formation of nations, the relationship between printing technology in China and Japan, and the development of national corporations like the Commercial Press. Professor Ng suggested that during the significant changes in the Republic of China in the 20th century, there were shifts in business models and printing technology, along with potential changes in folk customs and public thought patterns. He also highlighted the spirit of modern printing industry entrepreneurs.

Professor Moazzin proposed the Great Divergence issue as the inspiration for this book, which explores the distinct paths of economic development taken by Japan and China during the 19th and 20th centuries. He raised questions about how the two authors researched the book and gathered a lot of firsthand historical materials.

During the discussion, Professor So addressed questions from a micro perspective regarding the reliability of the Chinese and Japanese printing industries. He also discussed the challenges encountered during the ten-year collaboration between the Kinkōdō and the Commercial Press.

The event drew almost 170 participants, both online and on-site, sparking lively discussions on the morality, rationality and legality of modern enterprises.

The UM Philosophy Forum Distinguished Scholars Series 6, co-organized by the Institute of Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences (IAS) and the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities (FAH), was successfully held on 23 September, at the Lecture Hall in Cultural Building. Professor Chenyang Li from Nanyang Technological University delivered a wonderful speech on “Reshaping Confucianism”. Professor Lisheng Chen and Professor Qingjie Wang from the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, FAH, were invited as the discussants, and Professor Xingzhong Yu, Director of IAS and Chair Professor of FLL was invited as the moderator.

At the beginning of the lecture, Professor Li explained and differentiated the concepts of Confucianism and Confucius’ism from a historical and developmental perspective. He argued that Confucianism includes not only the ideas of Confucius but also the claims of many other thinkers and that Confucianism has been continuously defined and redefined in response to the changing political and social context of China’s history. Subsequently, based on the concepts of historical reconstruction and rational reconstruction put forward by Richard Rorty, Professor Li proposed two important methodologies for the study of Confucianism: historical reconstruction and philosophical reconstruction, and explained and elaborated on these two important methodologies. And then, Professor Li introduced the principle of charity, the principle of humanity, and the principle of progressive humanity, respectively. He especially emphasised that under the principle of progressive humanity, we should not only make sense of ancient thinkers by placing them under their historical circumstances as prescribed by the principle of humanity but also expand their ideas based on their overall philosophical dispositions in response to modern sensibilities. Finally, Professor Li shared his understanding of comparative philosophy. Comparative philosophy philosophizes through comparison and contrast across philosophical traditions to learn about other cultural traditions, solve philosophical problems, generate new insights, and develop new theories. It includes, but is not limited to, cross-cultural comparative work.

In the discussion session, Professor Lisheng Chen, on the other hand, suggested that Professor Li’s research is a conscious reconstruction of Confucianism, which provides us with a new methodology and contributes to the globalisation of Chinese philosophy. Professor Qingjie Wang also shared his views on the phenomenon that Confucianism, as well as other theories, are always reshaping and being reshaped. The professors also had enthusiastic discussions with the scholars and students in the audience on the relationship between Confucianism and modernity, how to define ‘progressive’, the limits of progressive Confucianism, Confucianism and AI, and other issues.

The event attracted the participation of many scholars and students and triggered active discussion and deep thinking about Confucianism. IAS will continue to hold high-quality academic activities to provide more opportunities for deepening academic exchanges and broadening intellectual horizons.