May discourse be with you

Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University held its first public lecture in Shanghai on Dec 5, featuring Lee Li-heng, a prominent festival and culture event curator as its keynote speaker.

Themed "from Star Wars to street art", the lecture about cross-cultural exchange comprised a talk on the career and philosophies of Lee and a panel discussion about how films like Star Wars can bring together cultures from the East and West.

Professor Igea Troiani, the dean of international affairs at XJTLU and the moderator of the panel discussion, says that she was heartened by the reception and expects more events of a similar nature to be held in the future.

"This first XJTLU international event is significant in showcasing how our university values positive transcultural exchange. We were thrilled to have a full house of attendees interested in discussing what we can do differently as one of the select number of Sino-UK universities in China and how we can contribute to creating responsible, tolerant global citizens," says Troiani.

"As an international university, XJTLU is globally engaged. Being able to understand local culture results from connecting at a community level, and a public lecture is a good example of this. Such an event also provides an opportunity for the community to learn more about our institution and to speak with our academics and heads of departments in a different environment."

During his presentation, Lee, who has curated a series of high-profile art and cultural events over the past decade, spoke of the importance of having "universal content" in his festivals and cultural events as this serves as a starting point for people from different cultures to get together.

"What is also important is to not be a 'closed box'," Lee says. "We need to open our eyes, ears and minds to sense and experience other cultures. Art alone cannot bridge cultural divides if people aren't willing to be open."

Lee recalled how he managed to pique the interest of many Chinese artists when he introduced European street art to China through the Shanghai Expo in 2010. The event, he added, had planted a seed in the minds of local artists, spurring them to find out more about this foreign art form.

In 2015, Lee sought to foster cultural exchange by bringing together performers of Kunqu Opera, a Chinese traditional opera form boasting hundreds of years of history, and classical musicians from Belgium, to perform in a concert titled When East Meets West during the Shanghai Arts Festival.

"People with traditional theater backgrounds are usually very conservative because they spent most of their lives mastering the traditional craft. They tend to dislike anything that is too avant-garde. They resist foreign ideas and are reluctant to try combining the modern with the new," he says.

"I remember there was a well-known flute player from Kunqu Opera who was initially apprehensive about playing alongside a classical violinist from Belgium, but her mind was changed after seeing the wonderful results. I thought that this was very meaningful, because this breakthrough meant that she could go on to teach her Chinese peers about the beauty of cross-cultural collaboration."

Troiani also weighed in on the importance of such endeavors.

"As the world becomes more connected, the requirement for young people to graduate with skills they can use internationally becomes even more important," Troiani says. "Being able to understand and respect cultural differences while sharing ideas, values and traditions is a form of cultural exchange which gives true meaning to being a global citizen."

Founded in 2006 as joint venture between Xi'an Jiaotong University in Suzhou and the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom, XJTLU is the largest institution of its kind in China and currently offers nearly 90 degree programs in fields such as science, business, architecture, culture and urban planning.