YGS 2023 | 互manity: Cartographies of Collaboration

Editor's Note

Under the theme "互manity: Cartographies of Collaboration," the 7th Yenching Global Symposium (YGS), an annual student-run flagship event hosted by the Yenching Academy of Peking University (PKUYCA), was recently held in Lingshui, Hainan, from April 14th to April 18th.

四月芳菲，琼州潮涌。2023年4月14日-18日，以“因缘互生，共图未来”为主题，北京大学燕京学堂在海南陵水举办第七届全球青年中国论坛（Yenching Global Symposium, 下简称YGS）。

By exploring key issues related to China and the world, YGS provides a platform for emerging leaders, established practitioners, and Yenching Scholars around the globe to engage in interdisciplinary dialogues on China.

作为北京大学燕京学堂的旗舰活动，YGS由学堂学生发起并筹办，旨在汇聚青年力量、展现中国发展、倾听世界声音，为世界各地的专业人士和青年学子提供一个平台，从多元文化视角出发，对中国相关议题开展跨学科对话。

Dedicated to developing informed solutions to global problems, YGS seeks to enable an interdisciplinary and intercultural gathering of rising global leaders with a noted passion for China.

The dean of Yenching Academy, Professor DONG Qiang, emphasized the importance of youth-led initiatives like YGS in his opening speech.

Scholars and friends, education is the true future. Standing on education means standing on the future, and standing on the future means standing on students. 

The significance of a global forum spontaneously organized by scholars lies in our confidence in young people, students, and the future.

– DONG Qiang

This year's Executive Committee (EC) in executing a successful conference represents Dean Dong's comments. The team chose an ambitious and thoughtful theme, "互manity: Cartographies of Collaboration," playing on the Chinese character 互 hù, meaning "mutuality," and its phonetic similarity with "humanity." In linking these two concepts, the EC decided to embark upon exploring the spirit of collaboration and exchange we need to embrace as citizens of the world. 

Under this umbrella theme, panelists and delegates explored topics such as global inequality, sustainable development, and Chinese philosophy via three subthemes: 

Geographical Affinity

Cultural Affinity

Human Affinity

Featuring a star-studded line-up of academic and industry professionals such as Martin Powers, PKU Visiting Chaired Professor of the History of Art, and Cheng Yonghua, Former Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia, South Korea, and Japan, the EC brought in a multitude of outstanding speakers for delegates to gain insight from and interact with. 

This year's conference was unique in many ways. Firstly, it boasted impressive participant statistics, comprised of a total of 278 delegates from 55 countries and regions participating both in-person and online, featuring all six inhabited continents, with a 6% delegate acceptance rate. The panelists also reflected this excellence, presenting 72 speakers on 15 panels. 

Furthermore, it marked a long-awaited return to a majority of in-person activities after two years of primarily online conferences. Nonetheless, the EC still chose to host the event in a hybrid format to inclusively invite top speakers and delegates from around the world to discuss pressing issues. They worked tirelessly to host hybrid academic panels and social events while organizing onsite activities.

Finally, this year's conference marked the first time YGS occurred offsite of the Peking University campus and was held in Hainan instead. Working in collaboration with the Hainan hosts, the symposium enjoyed not only excellent academic panels but also exploring the culture and development of Hainan through performances and site visits, such as a group dinner at Jiahe Shared Farm in Danzhou, Hainan, or a field trip to discover the Yangpu Economic Development Zone. 

During the Closing Ceremony, generously hosted at the Boao Forum for Asia's National Convention Center, Associate Dean FAN Shiming offered a reflection on this year's theme.

Humanity, according to my dictionary, means the state of being a person rather than a god, an animal or a machine. Humanity is the attitude and ability to care others, to be kind and equal to each other, sympathetic and accommodating enough, tolerant to differences, ready for communication and cooperation. Humanity goes against the fascination with egocentrism and material power. From this point of view, I see no better prescription for dealing with the challenges we are facing than humanity. I appreciate that you use it as the theme for this year's YGS.

– FAN Shiming

In the spirit of Associate Dean Fan's remarks, this year's theme focusing on global citizenship, and the mission of YGS to promote the voices of young scholars and emerging leaders, we interviewed the Co-Chairs and two delegates to hear their thoughts and experiences regarding the conference and these topics.

Q&A

Can you use one word to describe 

your experiences at YGS 2023? Why?

Susan Peters 

YGS Co-Chair

United States

2022 Yenching Scholar, 8th Cohort

Yenching Academy, Peking University

Motivating. It is incredibly motivating and energizing to be surrounded by people who exhibit such a tremendous depth of inquiry. After hearing insightful comments from our accomplished speakers and delegates alike, I leave YGS 2023 feeling motivated to fill gaps in my knowledge and research new interests.

Hong Kai Tan

YGS Co-Chair

 Singapore

2022 Yenching Scholar, 8th Cohort

Yenching Academy, Peking University

Inspirational. Future leaders need an objective and comprehensive understanding of China, not only because of its increasing importance across numerous domains but also because its rapid development and enormous successes across so many dimensions can offer practical lessons and valuable insights. I am thrilled that YGS 2023 provided our delegates with this opportunity to gain a nuanced and informed understanding of China and the world.

John Warburg 

YGS Delegate

Germany

2021 Yenching Scholar, 7th Cohort

Yenching Academy, Peking University

Return. The symposium was a return to form academically and a return to having a truly global event for people from around the world.

Aiheliman Aihemaiti

YGS Delegate

China

2021 Doctoral Student

Institute of Area Studies, Peking University

Inclusive. YGS 2023 is the very symbol of the 2023 Peking University Global Engagement Year (北京大学国际战略年), where I have met so many young and inclusive minds from different parts of the world. For the very first time, I realized how much of a global citizen I am.

 What did you enjoy most about YGS? 

Can you name a particularly memorable moment?

Susan Peters 

The most memorable YGS moment for me was walking into the opening ceremony venue and seeing our logo on the big screen surrounded by the color blue. It was a special moment to finally see it all come together.

Hong Kai Tan

The visit to the Yangpu International Container Terminal in the Yangpu Economic Development Zone. Delegates had a rare and exclusive opportunity to understand the working mechanisms and latest technologies of the port that is so integral to Hainan province's economic development, and also a once-in-a-lifetime chance to observe the port up close.

John Warburg 

The vibrancy of the first evening following our arrival stood out to me. All the delegates were bursting with excitement to meet, bond, discuss and debate that night. It really set the mood for what was to come.

Aiheliman Aihemaiti

All the moments of chitchatting with new friends. We talked freely, and I felt the humanity behind the diversity. Whether our chats occurred on the bus or at the dinner table, I remember the responses, hugs, and laughter.

As a Pekinger, what is 

one thing you love the most about PKU?

Susan Peters

I love the buzz of activity on campus at PKU. With so many students, PKU always feels lively and inviting.

Hong Kai Tan 

Every class goes beyond multidisciplinary compilations – pedagogical approaches are grounded in an innovative interdisciplinary ethos which actively fosters intellectual camaraderie, sparks eclectic coalescences, and cultivates an everlasting joy of learning.

John Warburg

Put simply, I love our campus. The design, the architecture, the nature all feel purposeful and still fill me with joy even after walking around our lake for the millionth time.

Aiheliman Aihemaiti

The chill vibe of PKU. I've been studying at PKU from my undergrad until now, for nearly 7 years, and I truly believe that at PKU, you can always find a solution to a problem as long as you find stillness and quiet and integrate into the PKU community. 

As a global citizen, what would you say

 if you could send a message to young people around the world?

Susan Peters

I would encourage young people to foster their interest in societies and cultures different from their own. A primary goal of YGS 2023 was to recognize the common humanity of all peoples and use diverse perspectives as a source of problem-solving. It is critical for young people to see opportunity in this exchange of ideas and acknowledge the need for global cooperation.

Hong Kai Tan 

Globally, factual information and objective viewpoints have been shrinking, knowledge sources are inundated with more opinion than evidence, and this could foment unwanted divisions at a time when the world urgently requires mutual understanding and cooperation to advance our broad shared interests. In our encounters and interactions with ideas and systems that are fundamentally different from what we have been exposed to, I hope we can put aside our preconceived notions and assumptions, resist making judgments based on our own beliefs, standards, and biases, and be willing to question and debate dominant narratives that are unfounded or distorted.

John Warburg

Explore and abandon your comfort zone like a burning building. You cannot learn even a fraction of the things at home that going out alone into the world will teach you. You will thank yourself later for choosing the interesting path over the comfortable one.

Aiheliman Aihemaiti

Reach out for friendship and help, and you will receive many warm hearts with messages from all around the world. We are here for each other and ready to help. And after you take this step, you can see the horizon of your life broaden.

Kudos to everyone involved

for making YGS 2023 so special!

Peking University founded the Yenching Academy in 2014, as an effort to bring together a global cohort of scholars into a unique intellectual environment. The Yenching Academy provides a master's program for multidisciplinary studies of China with the purpose of cultivating a new generation of global leaders.

The Yenching Global Symposium (YGS), the Academy's flagship event, was initiated in 2016 and is organized annually by students of the Yenching Academy. 

The symposium is hosted every spring and is comprised of lectures, panel discussions, and interactive sessions about China's impact on the world and the influence that the world has on China.

YGS 2023 | 互manity: Cartographies of Collaboration

Source: PKU Yenching Academy

Writer: Caitlin K. Tierney

Editor: Chao Ranran

Designer: Chin Xiao Yun Pauline

Executive Editor: Chao Ranran