Past and present

Every year Christ Church, one of the largest colleges in the University of Oxford, England, holds a series of conferences on the theme of conflict. The eighth event in this series is being run under the academic direction of Professor Rana Mitter of St. Cross College, Oxford, and takes as its theme the last 100 years of Chinese history, with a view to the next century.

The conference will examine the historical timeline from the Opium Wars of the mid-19th century and the fall of imperial China, the warlord era including the lives of Sun Yat-sen and Chiang Kai-Shek, through to the "cultural revolution" (1966-76), to the future of China and its relations with the United States and the rest of the world.

Lord Patten of Barnes, the last governor of Hong Kong, will attend the conference and talk about Hong Kong's transition.

In addition to the full program at Christ Church, University of Oxford, the conference includes a visit to one of England's largest Chinese collections at Compton Verney, where a guided tour of the collection and cultural visits have been arranged.

Christ Church's modern rooms are located in buildings of historical and architectural interest. Guests will also have an opportunity to visit the college's Picture Gallery, which houses an internationally important collection of Old Master paintings.

Date: Sept 2-7

Venue: Christ Church, St. Aldates Oxford

Website: www.chch.ox.ac.uk/conferences

(China Daily 08/10/2012 page31)