Faculty and Students of BFSU Participated in
the 2025 National Academic Symposium on Irish Studies
On October 25, 2025, the 2025 National Academic Symposium on Irish Studies, organized by the National Alliance for the Development of Irish Studies and hosted by the Irish Studies Centre of Dalian University of Foreign Languages, was successfully held in Dalian. British Studies Centre and Irish Studies Centre of BFSU co-organized the symposium. Experts and scholars from universities and research institutions across China gathered to engage in in-depth and inspiring discussions around the theme “Irish Studies in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: New Perspectives, New Topics, and New Methods.” The symposium featured seven main topics, covering literature, culture, economy, politics, education, and Sino-foreign relations, fully demonstrating the vitality and interdisciplinary potential of Irish studies in China.
Professor Wang Zhanpeng, Director of the Centre for British Studies and Executive Vice Dean of the Academy of Regional and Global Governance at BFSU, was invited to deliver the keynote speech entitled “Exploring Disciplinary Identity in Area Studies and Irish Studies.” Starting from the “Introduction to Area Studies” published by the Academic Degree Committee of the State Council of China in 2024 and related academic discussions, Professor Wang elaborated on the opportunities and challenges brought by the establishment of this new discipline to the exploration of Irish studies’ academic identity, from the perspectives of theoretical innovation, discipline development, cultural inheritance, and social service.
Three PhD students from the Irish Studies Center—Jiang Yiling, Zhu Ziyuan, and Xu Mengdie—gave impressive presentations on literary topics. Jiang Yiling’s talk focused on the representation of female mobility in Elizabeth Bowen’s To the North, exploring the interplay of space, gender, and identity. Zhu Ziyuan re-examined Oscar Wilde’s artistic ideals and spiritual dilemmas in The Importance of Being Earnest from aesthetic and cultural perspectives. Xu Mengdie analyzed the construction and transformation of local communities in contemporary Irish literature, using Colm Tóibín’s novels as examples. The research of these young scholars showcased the diverse perspectives and solid academic foundation of BFSU’s Irish literary studies, as well as the creativity and potential of a new generation of scholars in cross-cultural literary research.
