On July 28, the expert symposium on “The Next 80 Years for Peace, Development, and Progress” was held at the Memorial Hall. The event was jointly sponsored by the School of International Studies at Nanjing University, the Collaborative Innovation Center of South China Sea Studies at Nanjing University, and the Institute for National Memory and International Peace Studies. More than 40 experts and scholars convened at the Lecture Hall of the Themed Exhibition Hall “Justice will prevail, Peace will prevail, The people will prevail” to engage in international exchanges centered on the theme of “Remembering History, Cherishing Peace, and Shaping the Future.”

Group photo of the attending guests

During the keynote speech session, the following guests delivered remarks: Yang Jiemian, Director of the Academic Advisory Committee of the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (SIIS) and Member of the Expert Committee of the Center for Area Studies; Huang Ping, Vice President of the China-US Peoples Friendship Association (CUSPFA) and Former Consulate General of China in New York; Ye Hailin, Director General of the Institute of West Asian and African Studies (IWAAS) at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and President of the China-Africa Institute; Zhang Lianhong, Standing Committee Member of the CPC Committee and Vice President of Nanjing Normal University, as well as Researcher at the Institute for National Memory and International Peace Studies; and Zhu Feng, Dean of the School of International Studies at Nanjing University and Executive Director of the Collaborative Innovation Center of South China Sea Studies at Nanjing University. The speakers offered in-depth reflections on the momentous years of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, meticulouslysystematized the spiritual legacy forged through history, and shared their perspectives on the cause of peace and development in the context of globalization.

During the symposium, experts and scholars from renowned universities, including Tsinghua University, Nanjing University, and the National University of Defense Technology, as well as research institutions such as the CASS, the Jiangsu Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, and the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, conducted in-depth discussions centered on the significant milestone of the 80th anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

The experts and scholars systematically reviewed and summarized the magnificent course and historical experience of the 80 years since the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. From this historical coordinate, they conducted in-depth analyses of the new challenges and emerging issues confronting the cause of peace and development today, as well as the tumultuous international landscape eight decades after the end of the war.

“Experts and scholars have gathered in Nanjing, a city engraved with both national humiliation and the glory of resistance, to look back on the past at this pivotal historical moment, to safeguard historical memory, and, more importantly, to draw wisdom from history.” Zhou Feng, Director of the Memorial Hall, stated that by upholding peace through justice and delving deeply into the Chinese path to modernization characterized by peaceful development, the symposium seeks to promote a correct perspective of World War II history, advance the Global Civilization Initiative, and contribute to building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Experts and scholars visit the Memorial Hall