RUC President Prof. Ji Baocheng met with Prof. William C. Kirby, Director of the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, Harvard University and Chairman of the Harvard China Fund, on June 26th, 2009. Prof. Kirby came to attend and gave a speech on the “Humanities and Social Sciences Forum in China 2009”.

During the meeting, Prof. William C. Kirby highly praised President Ji Baocheng’s great contribution to the development of Renmin University for the past 9 years, and his educational concept as well as RUC’s achievement. He said that RUC was established to cultivate revolutionary cadres for the CPC and China at the beginning of its foundation, and through its unremitting efforts for development over the past 70 years, Renmin University has begun to review the influence of Chinese traditional culture and value on the young generation and realize the great significance of studying and facing the history for students to lead the future.

Prof. Kirby said that knowledge of humanities and social sciences is the essential value of the whole State and Nation, and also should be a fundamental quality of the new generation with global views and leadership. He quite agreed with President Prof. Ji Baocheng’s idea of focusing on study of Chinese Classics and the importance of humanities, and had mentioned Prof. Ji’s educational concept for several times in his speech at the Humanities and Social Sciences Forum. Prof. Kirby would like to bridge the cooperation between Renmin University and Harvard University.

Prof. Ji praised the cooperation between RUC and Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies of Harvard University, and suggested to explore bilateral cooperation field and ways, and to increase faculty and students bilateral visits, student exchanges, joint research and joint organization of international conferences. Prof. Kirby quite agreed with his proposal.

Prof. Du Peng, Director of RUC Office of Scientific Research Administration, Prof. Qin Xuan, Dean of RUC School of Marxism Studies, Prof. Qi Pengfei, Deputy Dean of RUC School of Marxism Studies, Ms. Hu Juan, Director of RUC Institute of Higher Education, and Ms. Cheng Xin, Deputy Director of RUC International Office, also attended the meeting.