On March 28, "Symposium on Language Integration and Community Building of the Chinese Nation" was hosted by the Department of Korean at the School of Foreign Studies, Nanjing University. Over 60 linguistics experts from more than 30 Chinese and South Korean universities and research institutes attended the symposium. Discussions centered on language integration mechanisms, ethnic language development, and the construction of the community for the Chinese nation.
In the opening address, Chen Jing, Chair of the School of Foreign Studies CPC Council, highlighted the role of language in cultural inheritance and the construction of national identity. She stated that the School will further align its linguistic research with national strategic needs and deepen interdisciplinary efforts to promote awareness of the Chinese national community.
Professor Zhang Suyuan of Seoul National University noted that language is a core carrier of historical experience and cultural identity, urging a shift beyond standard-language-centric paradigms.
The convener, Professor Li Jinhua of Nanjing University stressed the need for methodological transition from case studies to structural understanding.
Keynote speeches by three scholars from Seoul National University and Minzu University of China covered Korean phonological history methodology, morphological structures of Jeju dialect, and the Atlas of Chinese Korean Dialects.
The afternoon program featured two parallel forums: "Dialect Surveys and Academic Achievement Transformation" and "International Dissemination of Chinese Academic Translation."
In closing, Wu Yumei, Deputy Chair of the Department of Korean, observed that the discussions collectively sketched an intellectual landscape transcending standard-language frameworks and highlighting dynamic linguistic interactions.
The symposium not only provided a high-level transnational platform for linguistics but also forged consensus on the deep links between language integration and the Chinese national community. It further laid a foundation for advancing comparative language policy research and international scholarly dissemination.
Writer: Xie Wang
Editor: Li Xintong, Zhong Tianjing
