The founding ceremony of the RUC-NAAA Montreal Chapter and the inaugural Mingde Cultural Forum were held in Montreal on November 12, 2023. RUC Vice President Zheng Xinye delivered a congratulatory address by video. RUC-NAAA President Wu Yafeng and Vice Chairwoman Liu Jing attended the ceremony. Consuls Jiao Kai, Du Ming, and Li Yongkang from the Consulate General of China in Montreal were present to offer their congratulations. More than 50 guests and RUC alumni from Montreal’s Chinese community, academic and cultural circles attended the event.
Vice President Zheng Xinye Sends Video Congratulations on the Establishment of the Montreal Chapter
In his video address, Vice President Zheng Xinye congratulated the Montreal Chapter on its establishment and the launch of the Mingde Cultural Forum. He expressed his hope that the RUC-NAAA Montreal Chapter would make full use of its role as a bridge, strengthening connections and cooperation between Renmin University of China and its alumni in Canada, and further promoting exchanges and cooperation between Renmin University and Canada in education, culture, academia, and other fields. He also hoped that the chapter would contribute to the university’s efforts to build a world-class university with Chinese characteristics.
He also welcomed alumni to return to China and visit their alma mater, saying, “Renmin University of China will always be the home and spiritual harbor of every alumnus.”
The Mingde Forum is a high-level forum brand founded by RUC-NAAA in 2015, combining academic and practical perspectives while embracing openness and diversity. On November 11, it successfully held its ninth annual meeting in New York. The Mingde Forum focuses on current affairs and emerging issues, provides a platform for exchange, and promotes mutual learning and the sharing of ideas. It has also made important contributions to enhancing Renmin University’s international influence and strengthening its international voice.
The Mingde Cultural Forum is a sub-forum of the Mingde Forum, established in Montreal, widely regarded as one of the most multicultural cities in North America. The inaugural Cultural Forum was held under the theme “Taking Root Overseas: The Integration of Chinese Culture with Multiculturalism.”
The Mingde Culture Forum is a sub-forum of the Mingde Forum, based in Montreal, widely recognized as one of North America’s most multicultural cities. The theme of the inaugural Culture Forum was “Taking Root Overseas: Chinese Culture and Its Integration into Multicultural Societies.”
Chinese calligrapher Nie Junsheng, a member of the Chinese Calligraphers Association, and Professor Zhang Tongdao, renowned Chinese documentary filmmaker and Director of the Documentary Center at Beijing Normal University, sent video congratulations on the establishment of the Montreal Chapter and the opening of the Mingde Culture Forum.
Five distinguished guests from Montreal’s academic, collecting, educational, and cultural communities delivered presentations.
Wang Guojun, Associate Professor in the Department of East Asian Studies at McGill University, spoke on “Chinese Students in North America and China and the World in the 20th Century.” He reviewed the history of Chinese students studying abroad and explored their role in cultural exchange between China and the rest of the world from the late Qing period to the modern era.
Zhang Qiang, President of the Canadian Association for Chinese Antique and Art Collectors, brought two exceptionally valuable works to the Forum: a Qianlong-period famille-rose celestial globe vase decorated with a dragon amid waves, cliffs, and clouds, and Zhang Daqian’s imitation of Wang Ximeng’s A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains. Their presence added a special cultural dimension to the event. Zhang also delivered a presentation titled “The Role of Antiques in the Transmission of Traditional Chinese Culture.”
He Lingheng, a master’s graduate of the School of Chinese Classics at Renmin University of China and a Ph.D. candidate in East Asian Studies at McGill University, spoke on “Three Questions About Chinese Classics: My Journey from RUC to the Study of Sinology Overseas.” With an engaging and humorous presentation, he elicited frequent laughter and applause while offering the audience new perspectives on the study of Chinese culture.
Samuel Gagnon, representing the principal of Sainte-Anne School, gave a presentation titled “The Importance of Multilingual and Multicultural Education During Adolescence.” Sainte-Anne is one of the oldest elite private schools in North America, founded 40 years before Canadian Confederation, and holds a distinctive position in educational circles in Europe and North America. Its influence on European history and thought is also noteworthy. The school’s principal, Stéphane, has a strong interest in Chinese culture and has visited China seven times.
Zeng Hong, President of the Canadian Association for the Promotion of Traditional Chinese Culture, spoke on “Keeping China in Our Hearts, Passing the Tradition On.” Drawing on topics ranging from the Chinese cultural concept of family to the broader notions of country and the world, she explored ways to promote Chinese culture overseas. Her presentation offered a vivid reflection on the responsibility of overseas Chinese to preserve and share Chinese culture.
Fan Xiuqing, President of the Sichuan Chamber of Commerce and Sichuan Association of Fellow Provincials in Quebec, presented the Mingde Culture Forum with a congratulatory gift—a painting by Wu Xu, renowned as China’s foremost artist specializing in poetry, bamboo, and painting and an inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of bamboo-leaf calligraphy.
Also in attendance were leaders and representatives of the Montreal alumni associations of Nankai University, Zhejiang University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan University, Sichuan University, and other Chinese universities.
