From July 31 to August 6, the World Shakespeare Congress held in Stratford-upon-Avon and London welcomed a huge gathering of over 800 academics worldwide. Professor Yang Lingui, Vice Dean and Director of Shakespeare Institute of the College of Foreign Languages (CFL), and Associate Professor Qiao Xueying from CFL attended the event.
The Guardian interviews Prof. Yang Lingui
As one of the committee members of the WorldShakespeare Congress, Professor Yang Lingui was directly involved in the organization and preparation of the congress. On the first day, the Guardian interviewed him and released a feature article on August 1. Apart from several distinguished masters in Shakespeare research such as Stanley Wells and Michael Dobson, Prof. Yang is the sole scholar outside Europe and America listed in the article. At the World Shakespeare Congress this year, Prof. Yang, together with Associate Prof. Qiao Xueying, introduced the glamour of CFL to domestic and foreign counterparts through various academic exchanges and activities, further promoting the Shakespeare research work of CFL.
Associate Professor Qiao Xueying attends a seminar
Associate Prof. Qiao Xueying did well in the group discussion and communications. She submitted a paper titledPrince of the Himalayas and the Chinese Imagination of Hamlet, and shared her views concerning the influence on Shakespeare acceptance exerted by traditional Chinese culture. She indicated that the congress creates a precious opportunity for academics around the world to exchange ideas and learn from each other. The presentation and collision of different views and thoughts result in fresh perspectives and deeper understanding.
The World Shakespeare Congress meets once every five years in different countries. This year embraces 400 years after the playwright’s death. It hasn’t been long since Chinese scholars started to participate in the World Shakespeare Congress, which can be traced back to 1996 when the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Education sent 10 experts to attend the event. This year witnessed the unprecedented attendance and performance with 14 scholars having registered and submitted papers and 6 others being present. They displayed the current status of Shakespeare research in China to overseas peers, delivering a powerful Chinese voice in the circle of Shakespeare research.
