A UK-based independent worldwide fellowship
On January 20, 2024, Professor Zhao Kejin, Deputy Dean of the School of Social Sciences at Tsinghua University, visited the Global China Academy Centre. He brought with him the last wish of the late Professor LI Qiang (1950-2023), former Chinese Chair of the Global China Academy Council—namely, to continue developing the relationship between the two institutions. Professor Zhao also discussed matters of cooperation. Additionally, he brought a gift from Professor FANG Lili, President of the China Chinese for Anthropology of Arts, her book Fei Xiaotong’s Inquiry: How Human Society Can Achieve ‘Beauty in Diversity and Shared Harmony’, as well as a personal gift of his own books.
As the Chinese Chair of the Global China Academy Council, the sudden passing of Professor LI Qiang in December last year was a significant loss for our academy【Note 1】. We remember with gratitude his support for our work over the past decade and his contributions to the cooperative relationship between the two academies. For example, during the 6th Global China Dialogue: Governance for World Peace, he recommended Professor ZHAO Kejin to come to the UK to deliver the closing address. During the preparation for the 7th Global China Dialogue: Reforming Global Governance, he confirmed that the School of Social Sciences at Tsinghua University would be a supporting institution for the Global China Dialogue series, with Tsinghua University’s Institute for Global Industry as a sponsor. He also arranged for all Chinese speakers, including those from the School of Social Sciences at Tsinghua University and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, he ensured that our 7th Global China Dialogue was successfully held as a hybrid event at the British Academy in 2021.
To further strengthen and consolidate the connection between the two parties, we hope to continue and deepen this cooperative relationship through collaboration with the School of Social Sciences at Tsinghua University. The academy places great importance on the visits of Tsinghua scholars to the UK, and the invitation letter was jointly signed by Professor Tony McEnery, Chair of the Academy Council, and myself. We directly handle and arrange academic exchanges with British experts and scholars. Unlike previous outsourced commercial services, our administrative team has ensured that key reception activities will be personally overseen by our team leaders. Additionally, at the request of Tsinghua University, we have arranged volunteers, friends, and professionals in locations such as London, Oxford, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, and Cambridge to assist or accompany the visitors. We also established a WeChat group to share information promptly, ensuring that each stage of the visit runs smoothly. In this context, Professor Zhao Kejin conducted a study tour from July 27 to August 16, focusing on modern British modernization and its global development experience. The following is a brief chronological review of this process, presented with images and text.
This time, there were two visiting projects from Tsinghua University: one was Professor ZHAO Kejin’s field visits on modern British modernization and its global development experience from July 27 to August 16; the other was a visit by representatives from four universities in Beijing and Shanghai to the UK from August 17 to 23, focusing on the development of artificial intelligence and global governance. At the request of Tsinghua University, we arranged for volunteers, friends, professionals and academic in London, Oxford, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, and Cambridge to assist or accompany the visitors. We also established a WeChat group to promptly share information, ensuring that each stage of the visit proceeded smoothly. The following is a brief chronological review of this process, presented with images and text.
On July 27, the academy’s event officer Kai Liang welcomed Professor Zhao Kejin, his wife, and his son at London Heathrow Airport (T2) at 17:45. Due to delays at customs, they did not arrive at The Madonna Halley Hotel’s The Shisha Garden until 20:30. This is a Greek garden restaurant with an exotic atmosphere, adorned with lush vegetation and carefully designed lighting, creating a mysterious and enchanting ambiance. The academy’s logistics manager, David Liu, and I hosted a welcoming dinner for them there.
The dinner was also diverse, featuring dishes such as the mezze platter, which included halloumi cheese, hummus, tzatziki, pita bread, olives, cucumber, and tomato salad; and the chicken mezze platter, which also included chicken breast slices in addition to the above items. Everyone was particularly impressed with the halloumi cheese, noting that it resembled dried tofu. There were also mixed wraps, including marinated chicken breast and lamb with tzatziki sauce, sweet chili sauce, gherkins, and pink pickles, all wrapped in tortillas and served with chips or salad; and Caesar chicken wraps, featuring crispy chicken fillets, lettuce, tomato, Caesar dressing, and a hint of sweet chili sauce, also wrapped in tortillas and served with chips or salad. Additionally, there were nachos topped with cheese and meat, accompanied by salsa, sour cream, guacamole, pickled jalapeños, and cheese dip. These dishes showcased a fusion of flavours, offering a variety of textures and taste experiences, emphasizing a different kind of culinary delight and shared dining style compared to Chinese cuisine.
