On October 15, 2025, the Young Scholars Forum on Contemporary Foreign Literature, co-hosted by the journal Contemporary Foreign Literature and the School of Foreign Studies at Nanjing University, was successfully held at NJU. More than 120 experts and scholars from over 60 universities across China participated in the event.

The opening ceremony was hosted by Yang Jincai, Editor-in-Chief of Contemporary Foreign Literature and Professor of School of Foreign Studies at Nanjing University. Gao Fang, Director of the Office of Humanities and Social Sciences at Nanjing University, and He Ning, Dean of School of Foreign Studies at Nanjing University, delivered speeches. Gao Fang noted that foreign literature studies at Nanjing University upholds a Chinese perspective, explores new research approaches in the context of cross-cultural exchange and globalization. He Ning introduced the School’s educational traditions and contemporary missions, expressing expectations that academic exchanges among young scholars would provide new perspectives for disciplinary development. Wang Shouren, Senior Professor of Humanities at Nanjing University, encouraged young scholars to actively participate in constructing China’s self-directed knowledge system. Shang Biwu, Dean of the School of Foreign Studies of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, shared his personal academic journey, urging young scholars to rise to challenges and seize opportunities, and courageously engage in academic dialogues.

The morning plenary speeches were hosted by Professor Chen Bing, Vice Dean of School of Foreign Studies at Nanjing University, and Professor Xu Lei. Professor Zhang Fan from Shanghai International Studies University, Professor Wu You from East China Normal University, Professor Chen Liang from Fudan University, Professor Cao Danhong from Nanjing University, Professor Hui Haifeng from Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Professor Su Ping from South China University of Technology delivered speeches.

In the afternoon, Professor Yang Jincai hosted a sharing session on National Social Science Fund project application experiences, where 12 young scholars including Cheng Xin, Sun Hongwei, Ye Zi, and Shi Xueying shared their insights. Seven sub-forums focused on themes such as inter-civilizational mutual learning, contemporary literary theory, post-colonial studies, and many other subjects, featuring enthusiastic discussions that fully reflected the diversity and cutting-edge nature of contemporary foreign literature research.

Adhering to the orientation of supporting the growth of young scholars, Contemporary Foreign Literature holds that the forum is crucial for promoting the high-level development of contemporary foreign literature studies, and constructing a self-directed knowledge system of foreign literature in China.

Translator: Yu Rui

Editor: Yang Min, Zhong Tianjing