Conference In Memory of 1911 Revolutions at Harvard University

A conference in memory of the 1911 Revolutions in China will be held at Harvard University.

The 1911 Revolution was a landmark event that ended the Qing Dynasty after about two thousand years of imperial rule and marked the beginning of a modern China. In the last one hundred years since the 1911 Revolution, China in the pursuit of a Republic has witnessed numerous societal and political changes, mixed with reforms and revolutions, and with advancements and setbacks. In this conference we will hold extensive lectures and discussions on the implications of the Revolution and its ever-lasting influence on the development of China. The conference will commemorate this often undervalued event and further our understanding of the cultural, historical and political aspects of the Revolution, with a general goal of promoting social consciousness, public participation and democratic values.

This conference is a joint initiative of the Harvard GSAS China Study Group and Global Fancci Society, and is planned to be held annually in the future to review and discuss social and political issues in China. The Harvard China Study Group is an independent organization at Harvard, with the aims of advocating open discussion and advancing the understanding of China’s social issues. Global Fancci Society is an international organization dedicated to promoting the studies of China’s development.

The Conference will be held at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts from October 29th to 30th, 2011. The Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies will kindly sponsor this event. We expect 150 attendees and approximately ten speakers to participate in four panel discussions and two keynote speeches. Some candidate themes of the discussions are “A Century’s Pursuit of Constitutional Government”, “Two Republics of China: Reality and Ideal”, etc. A gala dinner will be held on October 29th for all the speakers and participating scholars and students. At present, we are in the process of inviting guest speakers and panelists. Some of the confirmed speakers are Dr. William C. Kirby, Professor of China Studies and Director of the Fairbank Center, and Dr. Lin Yu-sheng, Professor of History and member of Academia Sinica, Taiwan.