On May 11, SCMU convened a forum on world-class ethnology and anthropology discipline development at the university library. University Party Committee Deputy Secretary and President Liu Yi, along with Party Committee Standing Committee Member and Vice President Fang Debin, attended the event. Distinguished experts and scholars including Professor Emeritus Ye Shuxian from Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Distinguished Professor Wang Chuanchao from Fudan University, as well as outstanding alumni including Ma Shangyun, Party Group Member and Vice Chairman of Hubei Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and Li Zhuoyuan, Chairman of Digital Smart City (Fujian) Co., Ltd., offered insights and recommendations for SCMU’s world-class ethnology discipline development. The meeting was chaired by Chen Xiangjun, Dean of the School of Ethnology and Sociology, with participation from leaders of the School of Ethnology and Sociology, the Journal Editorial Department, and other relevant units.
Liu Yi delivered welcoming remarks, noting that SCMU boasts a distinguished history, rich campus culture, and profound academic foundations. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party, the university has focused on consolidating a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, assembling high-caliber research teams around major topics such as the historical interactions and integration among Chinese ethnic groups, producing academically influential research outcomes, and cultivating numerous alumni who have taken root in ethnic regions to advance frontier social development. He emphasized that the university is currently at a critical juncture of seizing opportunities from the third round of national world-class university and discipline construction expansion while accelerating the transformation and upgrading of ethnology disciplines for breakthrough development. He expressed hope that experts, scholars, and distinguished alumni would continue supporting the university’s development as the entire university community works together toward achieving world-class status.
Liu Yi delivers remarks. Photo by Jidi Wuhei
Ma Shangyun expressed his enduring connection to his alma mater years after graduation, noting extensive collaboration with the university and proposing future strengthened exchange and cooperation in academic research and project applications through the Provincial Federation of Literary and Art Circles’ academic platform. Ye Shuxian shared experiences in developing humanities and social sciences at the engineering-focused Shanghai Jiao Tong University, suggesting that world-class discipline development requires broadened perspectives, emphasis on interdisciplinary approaches, regional grounding, and leveraging distinctive features. He recommended concentrating university-wide disciplinary resources around ethnology for related interdisciplinary research. Wang Chuanchao, drawing from cutting-edge research in ancient genomics and considering disciplinary evaluation indicators in hardware facilities, faculty, scientific research, social service, and talent cultivation, offered recommendations for world-class ethnology discipline development.
Forum scene. Photo by Jidi Wuhei
Fang Debin concluded the meeting by thanking all experts and alumni for their valuable insights on behalf of the university. He stated that the university is benchmarking against world-class disciplines and identifying gaps in ethnology’s world-class development. Moving forward, the university will integrate resources, focus directions, clarify objectives, and further enhance discipline development to secure new growth opportunities.
