From October 29th to 30th, the 14th Symposium of China Association for the Study of American Literature, sponsored by China Association for the Study of American Literature and organized by the College of Foreign Languages of FNU, was held in the form of both offline and online meetings. The venue of the offline meeting was the Science Hall of the Cangshan Campus of FNU. Zheng Jiajian, Vice President of FNU, leaders of the Party and administration of College of Foreign Languages, directors of research centers, head researchers and representatives of teachers and students attended the offline meeting. Nearly 200 experts, scholars and postgraduates from 108 universities in 24 provinces and cities participated in the meeting through live streaming. The Committee received 181 papers and abstracts, and nearly 1,000 scholars from universities and research institutes across the country watched the symposium online.
Prof. Zheng Jiajian, Vice President of FNU, Prof. Ge Guilu, Dean of the College of Foreign Languages and Prof. Zhu Gang, President of China Association for the Study of American Literature attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches respectively. Professor Lin Yuanfu, executive director of China Association for the Study of American Literature and head of the first-level discipline of foreign language and literature of FNU, presided over the opening ceremony and delivered the keynote speech.
Focusing on the theme of “The Non-human” in the Literature of the United States and through keynote speeches, group discussion and postgraduate forum, the symposium fully discussed the topics of “The Literature of the United States and Non-human Narrative”, “Animal and Plant Writing in the Literature of the United States”, “Cyborg in the Literature of the United States”, “The Literature of the United States and Posthuman Thought” which aroused heated online-offline discussion and made fruitful academic achievements. At the closing ceremony, Professor Zhu Gang highly praised the thoughtful, efficient and professional organization of the conference by the College of Foreign Languages of FNU, and said that the symposium had successfully completed the agenda and achieved the expected results.
It is reported that this symposium has distinctive connotation of the times and important practical significance, echoing the hot spot of the 21st century “Non-human” and reflecting the profound thinking of the current academic community on the topic of “Non-human” in American literature.