Celebration of the United Nations International Chinese Language Day—UCD Irish Institute for Chinese Studies Public Lecture Series/ 58th Confucius PhD Forum
Established by the United Nations in 2010, International Chinese Language Day aims to celebrate linguistic and cultural diversity. The date was chosen to coincide with Guyu, one of the 24 traditional Chinese solar terms, in commemoration of Cangjie, the legendary inventor of Chinese characters.
To celebrate International Chinese Language Day, a special public lecture and the 58th Confucius PhD Forum was successfully held on 24 April 2025 by UCD Irish Institute for Chinese Studies. The event featured a keynote lecture by Dr. Mieke Matthyssen from the Department of Chinese Studies at Ghent University, Belgium. Entitled Knowing, Changing, Resisting, and Submitting to Ming 命: Evolving Narratives of Fate Amid Socio-Economic Shifts in Contemporary China, the talk attracted nearly 100 participants—including students, scholars, and Chinese culture enthusiasts—both online and in person.
In her lecture, Dr. Matthyssen delved into the philosophical dimensions of the core Chinese cultural concept of ming (命), analyzing its multifaceted meanings across Confucian thought, folk beliefs, and contemporary Chinese society. Drawing upon classical idioms and modern case studies, she highlighted how ming reflects a dynamic tension between reverence for the mandate of heaven and belief in human agency—a tension that has become increasingly pronounced in the era of globalization.
Through a review of China’s major socioeconomic shifts over the past five decades, Dr. Matthyssen examined how changing narratives of fate have shaped and been shaped by collective and individual experiences. Her analysis offered new perspectives on how evolving concepts of ming have influenced Chinese attitudes toward personal agency, societal development, and historical transformation.
The lecture concluded with a lively Q&A session, during which both in-person and virtual attendees engaged actively with the speaker.
As a key component of UCD Irish Institute for Chinese Studies and Confucius Institute’s International Chinese Language Day celebrations, the lecture aimed to enhance mutual learning between Chinese and Western civilisations through high-level academic exchange. At the close of the event, Professor Liming Wang, Director of the UCD Irish Institute for Chinese Studies, presented Dr. Matthyssen with a certificate of honour and a commemorative gift in appreciation of her insightful contribution.
庆祝2025年“国际中文日”系列活动暨都柏林大学中国研究院系列讲座/第58届孔子博士论坛
“国际中文日”由联合国于2010年设立，旨在弘扬语言多样性和文化多元性，并将中文日定于中国农历二十四节气中的“谷雨”，以纪念中华文字始祖仓颉的历史贡献。
为庆祝“国际中文日”，都柏林大学中国研究院于2025年4月24日成功举办了专题讲座暨第58届孔子博士论坛。本次活动特别邀请比利时根特大学中国研究系讲师Mieke Matthyssen博士主讲，讲座题为《知命、改命、抗命与顺命：当代中国社会经济变迁中的命运叙事演变》。讲座吸引了近百位来自学界和社会各界的中国文化爱好者，通过线上与线下相结合的方式积极参与。
Matthyssen博士从“命”这一中国文化核心概念切入，结合儒家思想、民间信仰及当代社会实际，通过典型谚语和现代案例深入剖析“命”在不同时期、不同语境下的多重含义。她指出，“命”在中国文化中既有“天命不可违”的宿命论色彩，也蕴含“人定胜天”的主体能动性。这种张力在全球化背景下表现得尤为突出。
通过对中国近五十年来社会经济变迁的梳理，Matthyssen博士揭示了命运叙事如何随着时代变革而演进，并指出，这些变迁不仅重塑了人们对“命”的理解，也深刻影响了个体与集体对社会发展的态度与实践路径。
在互动环节，现场及线上观众积极提问，交流踊跃，现场气氛热烈。
本次讲座作为都柏林大学中国研究院和孔子学院“国际中文日”系列活动的重要组成部分，旨在通过高水平的学术交流增进中西文明互鉴、深化中文传播与文化理解。讲座结束后，都柏林大学中国研究院院长王黎明教授代表学院向Matthyssen博士颁发了荣誉证书，并赠送纪念品，以表感谢与敬意。