Speakers:
Prof. Gao Xiang, Secretary-General
Prof. Chao Gejin, Director General of Institute of Minorities Literatures
Prof. Li Xinfeng, Deputy Editor in Chief of Social Sciences in China Press, all of the Academy of Social Sciences (CASS)
Date: Monday, 23 March
Time: 12:00 – 13:30
Venue: VCRs, Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban
Professor Gao Xiang is the Secretary-General of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (vice-minister level). He is a research fellow and doctoral supervisor with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) as well as an awardee of the Government Special Allowance of the State Council of China. He has been conferred with the honorary title “Leading Expert of National Press and Publication Industry” and “Leading Expert in Humanities and Social Sciences under the National Special Support Programme”. Professor Gao Xiang conducts long-time research on Chinese history and historical theories. His main publications include On the Ruling Ideas of Emperor Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong (Monograph), The Dawn light of Modern Times: Evolution in Social Life and Ideas of China in the 18th Century (Monograph), In the Depth of History (Symposium), Marxism and Chinese Academic Development in the 20th Century, etc.
Professor Chao Gejin is the Director General of Institute of Minorities Literatures of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. He is a Senior Researcher Ph.D. and Professor with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. He is a Visiting Scholarship, Harvard-Yenching Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts. He is a Grantee, Ford Foundation for Individual Research Grant, University of Missouri/ Columbia and received an award, Zhong Jing-wen Year Award for Folkloristics in China, in 2005. His specialization is in Folkloristics, Oral Tradition, Chinese ethnic minorities’ literature. He is the Editor of various Journals, inter alia, the Founder and Executive editor, CASS Journal for Humaniti; Editing Board, Studies of Ethnic Literature; and Editing Board, Oral Tradition, (USA). He has more than 80 publications and more than 50 papers. He is multilingual in Modern Mandarin Chinese, Classical Chinese, Mongolian and English.
Professor Xinfeng Li is a writer, photographer, Deputy editor-in-chief of Social Sciences in China Press of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, researcher, professor of graduate school of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, doctoral supervisor and standing director of China African Research Society.
Li Xinfeng has been a senior reporter, South Africa division director and chief reporter of People’s Daily, special reporter of People’s Daily on Line and Global Times. His footprint has covered a better half of the African continent. He is the first Chinese reporter who visited the Zheng He fleet seamen descendants on the Kenyan Pate Island , who discovered Mwamaka Sharif, the “Chinese Student”, and the only reporter from the East who visited and reported the inland areas of Somalia 22 years after the Somali civil war broke out. He was transferred in 2008 as a talent to Chinese Academy of Social Sciences for special research in African issues.
The seminar may be attended in Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban
RSVP by 20 March
Cape Town: Jean Witten (021) 466 8004, jwitten@hsrc.ac.za 12th Floor, Plein Park Building, Plein Street, Cape Town
Durban: Ridhwaan Khan (031) 242 5400, rkhan@hsrc.ac.za 1st Floor, 750 Francois Road, Ntuthuko Junction, Pods 5 and 6, Cato Manor
Pretoria: Arlene Grossberg (012) 302 2811, acgrossberg@hsrc.ac.za 1st Floor, HSRC Building, 134 Pretorius Street, Pretoria