Philosophy and Theory of Higher Education Society

 Speakers: Yanzhen Zhu & Yuting Shen

 Abstract: Globalisation has interconnected knowledge in different parts of the world, during which non-Western knowledge has been largely shaped by Western one. Simultaneously, non-Western knowledge has never been wholly Westernised but has evolved with unique traditions and practices. Against such a backdrop, how should we reunderstand non-Western knowledge? This report will provide some theoretical insights and practical implications by taking Chinese knowledge as a case. We will first discuss why Michael Polanyi’s explicit/tacit knowledge can be a theoretical lens for observing Chinese intellectual traditions. We will then introduce the epistemic practices of two representative Chinese scholars in the humanities and social sciences, Fei Xiaotong and  Sun Xiangchen. They have both contributed to integrating traditional Chinese and modern Western knowledge, even though in divergent ways. Hopefully, the experience from China we will share could be an entry point for people to rethink ‘knowledge’ they have taken for granted, comprehend culturally embedded knowledge systems, and promote intellectual pluralism within the global academic context.

 Bios: 

Yanzhen Zhu a postdoctoral fellow at the Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong. Her doctoral study theoretically and empirically explored how Chinese humanities and social sciences scholars transform their intellectual traditions in practice. Her academic interests include comparative studies on intellectual and educational traditions, philosophy of education, culture and education, and the globalisation of higher education.

 

Yuting Shen is a post-doctoral researcher at Faculty of Education, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. She holds a PhD from the University of Hong Kong and a Master’s and Bachelor’s degree from Peking University. She has strong research interests in culture and education and internationalization of higher education. Her doctoral research investigated how Chinese academics in the humanities and social sciences bridge Chinese and Western knowledge systems in the global context. Her research has been published in well-regarded journals, such as Higher Education, Higher Education Policy, and Asia Pacific Education Review.

 

Recording Available Here