In this midwinter, the Zizhu academic and research center of USC-SJTU Institute of Cultural and Creative Industry(ICCI) buzzed with exciting talks and laughter. Jan 9 2018 witnessed the first class held by the Chinese Calligraphy Culture Education and Communication Center, in which around 35 international and ICCI students learned how to write the Chinese character “福” on the surface of colorful paper lanterns with the Chinese calligraphy brush pen under the guidance of Prof. Bin ZHOU. Former UN Secretary-General Mr. Ban Ki-moon and his wife Madam Yoo (Ban) Soon-taek visited the class. During his short stay in Shanghai this month, Mr. Ban made a special trip to visit his calligraphy teacher Prof. Bin ZHOU in ICCI. In the class, Mr. Ban encouraged students to improve international communication ability and strive to become an ambassador of cultural communication globally.

On Jan 9 2018, the opening ceremony of ICCI Chinese Calligraphy Culture Education and Communication Center was held successfully. Guests that attended the ceremony included Ban Ki-moon and Yoo (Ban) Soon-taek, former UN Secretary-General and his wife, South Korean Ambassador Kim, Sixian JIANG, Deputy Chairman of the Shanghai Municipal People’s Congress and Party Secretary of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), Zhen HUANG, Vice President of SJTU, MO Liangjin, Director of Global Affairs office of SJTU, Weimin ZHANG, Dean of ICCI, Bin ZHOU, Director of Chinese Calligraphy Culture Education and Communication Center and Professor of ICCI, Jian MENG, Director of National Cultural Innovation Research Center and Professor of Fudan University, Jifeng TANG, General Manager of Zizhu International Education Park, Qinghua CHEN, Vice General Manager of Zizhu International Education Park, Lin CHEN, Secretary-General of Zijang Group Foundation. Feng ZHAO, Vice Dean of ICCI hosted the ceremony. Ban Ki-moon, Weimin ZHANG, Bin ZHOU, Jian MENG jointly unveiled the nameplate of the center.

Sixian JIANG expressed in this speech that with a shining history of over 121 years, SJTU has nurtured numerous outstanding graduates who served as pillars of various industries, communities and the society. In a era of increased globalization and improved longing for spiritual satisfaction, SJTU was seeking new ways to make greater contribute to our nation and the wellbeing of the mankind through promoting cross-cultural communication worldwide. He hoped that Chinese Calligraphy Culture Education and Communication Center could help people learn deeper about the spirit of Chinese culture through the unique art form – calligraphy, increase mutual understanding and contribute to international peace and prosperity.

Before the ceremony, Sixian JIANG met with Ban Ki-moon in the ZHOU Bin Study-Room located at the ICCI Zizhu Academic and Research Center. During the meeting, Mr. Ban talked about his connection with Chinese calligraphy beginning from the end of 2011. He appreciated the teaching method of Prof. Zhou and enjoyed profound Chinese traditional cultural contents in his calligraphy lessons, which greatly intrigued his interest in Chinese calligraphy. During his trip to Shanghai this time, he marveled at the rapid development of Shanghai in recently years and was much impressed by the rich cultural heritages of SJTU.

Sixian JIANG said that the friendship between Prof. Bin ZHOU as the teacher and Mr. Ban as the student was very touching. And the motto of SJTU, “Drinking water, one should think of its source“, also expressed the gratitude of SJTU alumni to their alma mater. He believed that calligraphy could improve the influence of Chinese culture in the world, and he would like to forge more collaborations of SJTU with top universities in Korea to propel academic and cultural communication. After the meeting, Sixian JIANG presented Mr. Ban with the calligraphy work “饮水思源” written by Bin ZHOU as a gift and Mr. Ban also gave a gift to SJTU in return.

Among the students of the first calligraphy lesson, some were Russian from the SJTU-MAI Dual Master Degree Program. After finishing the class, they were eager to learn more about this fantastic Chinese artistic form. They said that Prof. Bin ZHOU’s teaching of calligraphy did not limit to the mere strokes of Chinese characters “福”, but also include the origin and development of Chinese cultural tradition pertaining to the concept of fortune, explaining in details the non-material cultural heritage that embedded in it. International students were all excited to write Chinese characters on the Chinese lanterns and took photos with their own works afterwards. “When designing the course, I intentionally took into consideration of the aesthetic preference of the western audience to help them understand and identify with Chinese culture, ” said Prof. Bin ZHOU, ” With the experience of teaching Mr. Ban calligraphy, I firmly believe that Chinese calligraphy can play an important role in international cultural communication and it undertakes an extraordinary mission to revitalize the global impact of Chinese culture.”

Mr. Ban was very delighted to have seen students practicing calligraphy works in class. He said,” As an unique form of art, calligraphy is endowed with profound cultural contents and spirits that enrich our understanding of Chinese character and beauty. From my personal experience, practicing calligraphy is also a magical pathway to inner peace indeed. I always marvel at how powerful it is to positively influence its faithful practitioners.” He recalled his experience of practicing calligraphy under the guidance of Prof. Bin ZHOU, and encouraged students to further explore this artistic treasure. He hoped that the Chinese Calligraphy Culture Education and Communication Center can facilitate a wider spread of Chinese Calligraphy globally to benefit more people from various nations and regions. He also called for younger generations’ participation in the advancement of international cultural communication.

With the support of the Ministry of Culture and National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language, Chinese Calligraphy Culture Education and Communication Center devotes to the theoretical and practical research on the international communication of Chinese culture with the help of calligraphy as a medium. It provides calligraphy communication talents for oversea communication organizations such as Confucius Institutes and Chinese Cultural Centers and also collaborates with international financial organizations, cultural industries, art management organizations to cultivate comprehensive cultural innovation talents for Chinese cultural communication.

The center will regularly invite renowned calligraphers and cultural communication scholars for academic exchanges and communication. Meanwhile, it has established internship bases in California and New York, which could provide students opportunities to take internships overseas regularly to improve their cross-cultural adaptability. Prof. Bin ZHOU is the leader of the center, who is in charge of the execution of major national and ministerial-level research projects, compilation of Chinese calligraphy cultural communication textbooks, development of calligraphy cultural industry projects, organization of high-end forums and international exhibitions, as well as the cultural training of United Nation diplomats, government officials and industry professionals.