As is reported in Nanfang Daily, the Confucianism Center of the SYSU Institute of Advanced Study of Humanism was set up yesterday, a specialized institute devoting to research and teaching of Confucianism. Professor Feng Dawen from Department of Philosophy assumes the post of director for the center.

The Confucianism Center is the first research institute of advanced study of SYSU of Institute of Advanced Study, the aim of the institute is to “bridge the classicism and modernism, the Chinese wisdom with the western knowledge as well as various humanities and social disciplines”. To this end, the institute would establish 6 specialized research centers, with the Confucianism Center being one of them.

The center will offer Confucianism lessons to the undergraduate students of SYSU. How will the Confucianism lessons benefit university students? President Feng Dawen said that the Confucianism lessons will help enhance students’ spiritual and moral development, and teach them to be “ambitious but not worldly”.

In aspect of academic research, the SYSU Confucianism Center mainly targets at two issues: social crisis brought by modernization and the rise of China. “Rob others, spoil the nature and plunder the future”, rethinking the danger the modern society is facing, President Feng Dawen suggests the Center expand their academic discussions by tackling on this topic.