On the morning of June 20, the final session and closing ceremony of the international seminar on “Culture and Literature” from July 15^th to 20^th via Voov Meeting platform were held successfully.

The 6^th presentation was the introduction to the ways created by filmmakers, artists and activists to bring the crisis-related topics like global warming, climate breakdown and colonization of nature to the public’s attention through contemporary art, photography, and film using science fiction, comedy and tragedy. Over 260 attendees including teachers and postgraduates from the SFL and other universities joined in it.  

After the presentation, Fu Jiangtao, Vice-Dean of the SFL, made closing remarks on behalf of the school and expressed sincere gratitude to the commentators, the hosts and especially the keynote speakers.

The topics of such a Cloud academic feast lasting for 6 days varied from culture-oriented ones of “Locating Glamor in a Global World”, “Cigarettes as an Icon of Modernity”, and “Contemporary Cultures of Bullying and Intimidation” to literature-oriented ones of “Art of the Polar Regions in the Time of Climate Change”, “Writers and Filmmakers Turn to Science Fiction to Write a Message about our World”, and “Film and Indigenous Perspective on the Environment”. Thanks to Professor Reid and Professor Bloom, the attendees realized that they should not confine themselves to the traditional research method of close-reading but delve into realistic and social issues reflected by literature including the future of humanity, the Earth, and environment.

This seminar has further strengthened international academic exchanges and cooperation with world-renowned universities, broadened the faculty’s research horizon as well as enlightened students on the relationship between culture and literature. It is learned from the leaders of the SFL that more joint projects will be launched for providing students and teachers with better academic atmosphere and making contribution to the goal of developing world-class disciplines.

(Author: Ding Lan,   Jiang Shu)