On 16 and 17 July, Michael Szonyi, director of the Fairbank Center for China Studies at Harvard University and Professor of Chinese History in Harvard’s Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations, was invited to give two lectures to students of Xiamen University. On the topic “Sixty Years of the Fairbank Center for China Studies”, Professor Szonyi introduced the audience to the development of China, evolution of Sino-US relation and the China studies, presenting a picture of the development of the Center. On another topic “Digital Humanities and Harvard China Studies”, Professor Szonyi, using what Harvard is doing in the research on China as an example, explained to the audience the concept of digital humanities, the practice of digital humanities and China studies as well as problems and challenges. According to him, though the digital thinking is implemented in the research on humanities and has impact on the traditional ways of research, which has initiated a new model of data-driven humanities studies, the academic problem-centered quality in the research has never been changed.  

 Before the lectures, Zhu Chongshi, president of Xiamen University, met Professor Szonyi and expressed his high opinion of the long-term cooperation between the Center for Xiamen University Folk History and the Center for Fairbank China Studies. Both have a discussion on the further promotion of the cooperation between two universities in the future.

Wu Daguang, vice president of Xiamen University, impressed by the digital humanities, said at the end of the lecture that Xiamen University should improve its humanities studies by conscientiously using the digital method so as to keep academic research updated.