(Fudan News Center) On the morning of December 12, 2014, Irish President Michael D. Higgins and his wife visited Fudan University, accompanied by Irish Ambassador Paul Kavanagh and Irish Consul General in Shanghai Austin Gormley. President of Fudan University Mr. Xu Ningsheng and vice-president Mr. Feng Xiaoyuan held a welcoming ceremony for them at Guanghua Building. Also present at the ceremony were Chinese Ambassador to Ireland Xu Jianguo, professor Dai Congrong (translator of Finnegans Wake), professor Sun Jian (expert on George Bernard Shaw), and other distinguished guests.

Under the witness of President Higgins and Mr. Xu Ning, vice-president of Fudan University Feng Xiaoyuan and vice-president of Trinity College Dublin Juliet Hersey signed a memorandum and a student exchange protocol. This is a step of strategic importance in carrying out humanities studies through international cooperation, and also a great advance in a series of strategic measures between TCD and China.

After the signing ceremony, President Higgins gave a lecture named “The Emergence of a New Global Order and the Importance of the Multilateral System”, and answered questions from the students. In his lecture, President Higgins reaffirmed the fundamental role of young students from Fudan University and other academic institutions in deepening the cultural exchange between EU and China and between Ireland and China. Moreover, he also paid special tribute to professor Dai Congrong, for her excellent efforts of introducing Irish literature to China with succinct and clear translation. At last, he calls for all to work together to revitalize the spirit of solidarity exemplified by George Bernard Shaw’s visit to Shanghai in 1933, in order to create a world civilization of peace.