On March 31, Professor Yang Jincai, a renowned scholar from Nanjing University, delivered an academic lecture titled On the Chinese Perspective in Foreign Literature Studies in the Y320 Conference Room of Yinglu Building. Professor Yang serves as the editor-in-chief of Contemporary Foreign Literature, a distinguished professor under a national talent program, chief expert of a major national social science fund project, member of the State Council’s Academic Degree Committee, president of the Chinese Association for American Literature, vice president of the Comparative Literature Association of China and the United States, and vice president of the Chinese Association of Comparative Literature. The lecture was presided over by  Professor Zhang Xifeng, Dean of SFL and attracted a large number of faculty and students. The event was marked by a vibrant academic atmosphere.

Professor Yang Jincai, a veteran scholar with decades of rich experience in foreign literature studies, has achieved remarkable academic accomplishments. At the beginning of the lecture, he started with the concept of the “great changes unseen in a century” and, in conjunction with the discussion in the report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China that “emphasizes the dissemination and influence of Chinese civilization,” he stressed that against the backdrop of globalization and the unprecedented changes of the era, Chinese scholars need to ground themselves in the local context, build an independent knowledge system, and inject a Chinese perspective into the study of foreign literature.

During the lecture, Professor Yang used American literature as an example to analyze research hotspots in 21st-century foreign literature from four dimensions, advocating for fresh perspectives rather than adhering to outdated approaches. These dimensions included: terrorism and humanistic concerns, the political implications and pacifist aspirations in war narratives, ethical depictions of ordinary life, and the cultural dilemmas in immigrant stories. He argued that the study of contemporary American literature should be multidimensional, as only through diverse angles can its ideological depth and thematic significance be fully grasped.

Professor Yang emphasized that Chinese scholars must base their work on cultural self-awareness, distill the spiritual symbols of Chinese civilization, and build a discourse system with Chinese characteristics. Taking “wealth narratives” as an example, he pointed out that contemporary Chinese literature vividly portrayed socialist wealth ethics through themes such as reform and opening-up and poverty alleviation. He called on scholars to focus on literary expressions within the context of Chinese modernization, closely integrating foreign literature research with China’s realities to contribute Chinese wisdom to global literary studies.

During the Q&A session, faculty and students enthusiastically raised questions, such as “Why has the movie, Ne Zha 2, achieved such popularity abroad?” Professor Yang provided insightful answers from a literary perspective, citing concrete examples and earning continuous applause. The lecture not only broadened the academic horizons of the attendees but also inspired a sense of mission to engage with the world from a Chinese standpoint. At the end of the lecture, Professor Zhang Xifeng concluded, “Professor Yang has charted a clear direction for foreign literature research at our school. We look forward to deepening collaboration in the future to jointly advance disciplinary development.”

                                        Zhu Jianping and Zhang Shanjun