From July 25thto 28th, an International“Globalizing Black Studies: Perspectives on Art, Literature, History and Culture”virtual conference was held online via Zoom. The symposium was co-hosted by the Association of Comparative Studies between Chinese-Africana Literatures and Cultures, Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies at Indiana University Bloomington, USA, and the Department of Foreign Languages, School of Law and Humanities at China University of Mining and Technology-Beijing, with co-sponsorship from Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press. A total of 73 experts and scholars from the United States, Germany, Turkey, Algeria, and mainland China were invited. The symposium focused on the development dynamics and research trends of African and African Diaspora studies in literature, art, history, and culture from a global perspective. Speakers shared their research focuses and engaged in lively discussions, elevating the academic atmosphere to its peak several times. The symposium achieved fruitful outcomes and received praise and recognition from the participating experts and scholars.
The international academic symposium spanned across time zones between China and the United States, lasting for three and a half days. Each half-day session consisted of keynote speeches, thematic discussions, and interactive Q&A sessions. The symposium explored topics related to globalization in African and African Diaspora studies, examining both diachronic and synchronic perspectives in global academic research. Specific themes included the composition of world academic studies, characteristics of African English literature, narrative techniques, rhetorical functions, thematic expressions, and more. Discussions also delved into the roots and future prospects of Sino-African cultural exchanges, the intricate connections between Africa and Turkey in history, culture, language, and daily life, as well as the impact and development of Black cultural studies in the Pacific region.
English served as the official language of the conference. The opening remarks were delivered by Professor Carolyn Calloway-Thomas, former chair of the African American and African Diaspora Studies Center at Indiana University Bloomington and past president of the World Communication Association. The symposium was chaired by Professor Xu Huiyan, associate dean of School of Law and Humanities at China University of Mining and Technology-Beijing. Distinguished speakers at the opening ceremony included Professor Wang Jiachen, Vice President of China University of Mining and Technology-Beijing; Professor Rick Van Kooten, Executive Dean of College of Arts and Sciences at Indiana University Bloomington; Professor Yin Zhaoliang, Dean of the Law and Humanities at China University of Mining and Technology-Beijing; Professor Tan Huijuan, Director of the Association of Comparative Studies between Chinese-Africana Literatures and Cultures and the African and African American Studies Institute at Hangzhou Dianzi University; and Professor Jakobi Williams, Director of Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies at Indiana University Bloomington. The closing ceremony featured concluding remarks by Professor Feng Wenkun, Deputy Director of the Association of Comparative Studies between Chinese-Africana Literatures and Cultures and Dean of School of Foreign Languages at Hangzhou Dianzi University, and Professor Carolyn Calloway-Thomas.
