On April 8, Nankai University Centennial Commemoration Conference for Philosophy Discipline was held at the Datong Student Center of Jinnan Campus. Nankai Philosophy celebrates its 103rd anniversary of the establishment of philosophy discipline, the 100th anniversary of the founding of the department, and the 60th anniversary of the reconstruction of the college. 

The Commemorative Conference began with the solemn national anthem at about 10 a.m.

Professor Chen Yanqing, a well-known Marxist philosopher and former head of the Department of Philosophy of Nankai University; Xing Yuanmin, former chairman of the Tianjin Committee of CPPCC and alumnus of the Department of Philosophy who was admitted in 1977; Yang Qingshan, Chancellor of Nankai University; Yang Kexin, Executive Vice Chancellor of Nankai University and an alumnus of the Department of Philosophy who was admitted in 1983; Yan Mengwei, former head of the Department of Philosophy of Nankai University; Liu Ruiqi, chairman of Boya Group and former chairman of Hengyuanxiang Group; Wang Yong, chairman of Xinjiang Xiaochu Co., Ltd.; and Xu Xiaodong, representative of alumni enterprises, chairman of Jiangsu Yunneng New Material Technology Co., Ltd., and an alumnus of the Department of Philosophy who was admitted in 1991 attended the conference. Also present at the conference are more than 400 representatives including experts and scholars from social sciences organizations and partner universities, entrepreneurs, heads of departments and divisions of Nankai University and partner universities, all faculty and students of the College of Philosophy, retired faculties and alumni from all over the world. 

Yang Qingshan, on behalf of the University, warmly welcomed the guests and alumni attending the conference. He stated that Nankai University’s philosophy discipline has a long history and profound roots. Under the university motto of “Dedication to Public Interests, Acquisition of All-round Capability, Aspiration for Progress with Each Passing Day” and the tenet of “Knowing China and Serving China”, it has made painstaking explorations, stayed on track, innovated, and produced a wealth of high-quality and influential academic achievements as well as many high-caliber outstanding talents with a sense of responsibility. As a vital place for philosophy research in China, the position of Nankai philosophy has been continuously consolidated and improved. In the new century and at a new starting point, Nankai philosophy will work to achieve academic progress, promote the inheritance of civilization and make greater breakthroughs in discipline building, talent cultivation, faculty recruitment and cultivation, scientific research, international exchanges, etc. All faculty and students of the College of Philosophy should keep to the fine academic traditions of the predecessors, take China's society as the academic background, move with the times and strengthen the study and interpretation of major theoretical and practical issues to make more leading, original and iconic innovative achievements. 

Zhai Jincheng, Dean of the College of Philosophy, reflected on the centennial history of Nankai philosophy studies with the participants.

Nankai University has had philosophy discipline since its founding in 1919, which was renamed as the Department of Philosophy Education in 1922. During the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, together with Peking University and Tsinghua University, Nankai formed the Department of Philosophy in the College of Literature and Arts of the National Southwest Associated University. A group of Chinese academic masters of modern and contemporary times, including Zhang Pengchun, Ling Bing, Huang Yusheng, Tang Yongtong, Feng Wenqian, Yu Chuanjian, Zha Liangzhao, Pang Jingren, Wang Weicheng, and Wang Xun taught here one after another. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the university underwent the adjustment of faculties, and the Department of Philosophy was reestablished in 1962. It was approved as an authorized faculty for conferring doctoral degree in 1981, and was approved to offer a doctoral program in first-level philosophy discipline in 2002. In 2010, it was renamed the College of Philosophy. Since the reconstruction of College of Philosophy, professors Wen Gongyi, Chen Yanqing, Su Tuo, Fang Keli, Che Mingzhou, Mao Conghu, Yang Ruisen, Wen Keqin, Kong Lingzhi, Liu Junjun, Feng Yuchang, Cui Qingtian, and Liu Wenying and others have developed their respective fields of research, resulting in the advantages and status of Nankai University in philosophy discipline. 

The discipline of Marxist philosophy was involved in the national reform of the system of Marxist philosophical principles in universities nationwide, opening up new fields of social philosophy and political philosophy. In terms of foreign philosophy, it is at the forefront of universities in China in the fields of medieval philosophy, classical German philosophy, modern foreign philosophy, and so on. The College was commissioned by the Ministry of Education to preside over the compilation of the national Syllabus of the History of European Philosophy. In terms of Chinese philosophy, it leads the way in the fields of ancient philosophy, neo-Confucian philosophy, primitive mentality and primitive culture. While maintaining its leading position in the field of Chinese logic history, the College has made new progress in modern logic, and offered the undergraduate program in logic in 1986. In terms of philosophy of science and technology, it has opened up new paths in the fields of philosophy of science, sociology of science, and so on. Aesthetics, ethics and other disciplines also demonstrate the education philosophy of Nankai University. 

Upholding the idea of “inheriting human wisdom and nurturing first-class talents”, the College of Philosophy has promoted educational and teaching reform, implemented the “full-course tutor system”, opened “Boling class for philosophy”, and explored a system of integrated training for undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students. As a national talent training base, it has been awarded many teaching achievement awards, and has been designated as a center for national first-class undergraduate program development, a center for national first-class undergraduate courses, and a center for virtual teaching and research department under the Ministry of Education. Nankai University's philosophy program has produced nearly 6,000 graduates since its resumption.

At the conference, Yang Haifeng, former dean of the Department of Philosophy of Peking University; Tang Wenming, dean of the Department of Philosophy of Tsinghua University; Zhang Zhiqiang, director of the Institute of Philosophy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; Hao Liuxiang, director of the Institute of Philosophy of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Dermot Moran, a world-renowned philosopher, dean of the Department of Philosophy of Boston College and an honorary professor at Nankai University; and Daniel Little, former president of the University of Michigan-Dearborn and visiting professor at Nankai University, congratulated the centenary of Nankai philosophy on behalf of partner universities, research institutes, and well-renowned Chinese and international scholars. 

Liu Ruiqi

Zhang Yiguo

Ban Feng

Liu Ruiqi, chairman of Boya Group; Zhang Yiguo, a well-known connoisseur of Chinese paintings and calligraphy works and an alumnus of the philosophy department who was admitted in 1979; and Ban Feng, general manager of Tianjin Publishing and Media Group and an alumnus of the philosophy department who was admitted in 1996, spoke as representatives of various sectors of society and alumni. 

  Liu Fengyi

Liu Fengyi, Dean of the School of Marxism of Nankai University, congratulated the College of Philosophy on behalf of other colleges of Nankai University.

Wang Shizhong

Li Kexin

Wang Shizhong, director of the Marxist Philosophy Teaching and Research Office, and Li Kexin, an undergraduate student who was admitted in 2019, spoke on behalf of the faculty and students of the College of Philosophy.

Mr. Wen Gongyi was the first dean of the Department of Philosophy after it was rebuilt in 1962, and the founder of Nankai’s logic discipline. At the Conference, Wen Hongqing, a grandson of Mr. Wen Gongyi, donated Mr. Wen’s early academic note cards, handwritten manuscripts of History of Chinese Philosophy and History of Chinese Logic as well as the outline of “Chinese History” lectures notes to the College of Philosophy to encourage generations of scholars. 

Winners of Outstanding Contribution Award: Wang Nanshi (first from left) and Li Na (second from left)

Teaching Contribution Award: Yan Zheng (second from right), Li Jidong (first from left), Li Guoshan (first from right)

Collective Honor Award

The Award Ceremony of Huayu Teaching Award, established with the support of Changshu Huayu Environmental Science Co., Ltd. took place at the conference. Yang Kexin, Xu Xiaodong and the students from the College of Philosophy presented awards to the teachers who won the Outstanding Contribution Award, the Teaching Contribution Award, and the Collective Honor Award respectively. Professor Chen Yanqing and Professor Cui Qingtian, a Chinese logician and historian of logic, received the Outstanding Contribution Award. 

To celebrate the centenary of Nankai philosophy and comprehensively summarize the achievements of various secondary disciplines, the College of Philosophy organized the compilation of Centennial Digest of Nankai Philosophy (1919-2022), which showcases the contribution of Nankai philosophy to China’s philosophical development over the past 100 years. Chen Yanqing and Xing Yuanmin jointly unveiled the new book at the conference.

Mr. Chen Yanqing has been teaching since Nankai University established philosophy discipline 60 years ago. During this period, Mr. Chen Yanqing led the study of Marxist philosophy discipline at Nankai, pioneered the research on social and political philosophy, and cultivated many outstanding and influential talents who are well-known in various field.. At the conference, the philosophy faculty, students and alumni held a ceremony to commemorate Mr. Chen Yanqing’s 60-year teaching career. Xing Yuanmin and Yang Qingshan presented Mr. Chen Yanqing with a 60-year Teaching Medal and an Honorary Certificate of Outstanding Contribution Award. 

Mr. Chen Yanqing, aged 85, is delivering a speech.

When the Nankai University anthem played, all guests, faculty, students and alumni in attendance stood up and sang together, wishing Nankai Philosophy a new journey and brilliant achievements in the next century!

It is learned that the College of Philosophy has organized a series of commemorative activities featuring cultural inheritance, discipline development, academic exchanges, and alumni services since the launch of the celebration activities in March 2022 in order to herit and carry forward the century-old fine tradition of Nankai philosophy and spur the development of first-class disciplines. It has held the release conference for the 8-volume Research on Modes of Political Thinking in the New Era and high-end lectures for the anniversary celebration of the College of Philosophy. Celebration logo, commemorative articles, historical materials of philosophy discipline, physical archives, etc. have been publicly solicited. The Centennial Digest of Nankai Philosophy (1919-2022) has been published, and the promotional video “A Century of Philosophy, A New Journey- Nankai Philosolhy's Centennial” has been released. The newly revamped Chinese and English website of the college has been launched, and a commemorative stamp album and first day cover, etc. were issued for the “103rd Anniversary of Nankai University’s Philosophy Discipline, 100th Anniversary of the Department, and 60th Anniversary of the Newly Established College (Department) of Philosophy”. Moreover, the “May Fourth” essay competition development fund program of Nankai University’s College of Philosophy was established upon the initiative of alumni.

Edited and translated by Nankai News Team.