On November 25, a symposium on the "Mutual Learning among Civilizations and Literature Research" was held in Chengdu University (CDU). Distinguished guests attended the opening ceremony of the symposium and delivered speeches, including Liu Qiang, Secretary of the Party Committee of CDU, Zhu Guohua, President of the Chinese Association for Theory of Literature and Art, Liu Liyun, Secretary of the Party Committee of Sichuan Academy of Social Sciences, Cao Shunqing, Director of the Collaborative Innovation Center for Chinese Multi-ethnic Cultures Cohesion and Global Communication (Co-construction Center by Sichuan Province and Ministry of Education), Min Nan, Deputy Director of the Publicity Department of the CPC Chengdu Municipal Committee, and Li Hao, Vice President of Chengdu Academy of Social Sciences. More than 100 scholars from over 40 universities across the country and overseas participated in the symposium.

Liu Qiang and Cao Shunqing issued letters of appointment to academic members of the Research Center for Civilizations Mutual Learning and the "Belt and Road" in Chengdu University, as well as editorial board members of the journal Mutual Learning among Civilizations and Literature Research.

Liu Qiang introduced the history and development trends of Chengdu and CDU in his speech. He said that the symposium is closely aligned with national strategic opportunities such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and "mutual learning among civilizations". It provides theoretical and intellectual support for the promotion of a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, the protection of Tianfu cultural heritage, and the advancement of Tianfu culture, which is a tangible implementation and a vivid practice of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. He pointed out the significance of this symposium in promoting the implementation of the cultural strategy, citing a quote from The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons: "It is inherent that all individuals possess thoughts and emotions, which give rise to the use of language; language, in turn, facilitates the development of writing". He also called upon colleagues from all walks of life to contribute their wisdom and efforts to the development of humanities at CDU.

Professor Zhu Guohua emphasized the significance of literature research in promoting the diversity and mutual learning of civilizations. Liu Liyun provided an overview of the development history of the Institute of Literature, Sichuan Academy of Social Sciences, and invited experts and scholars to collaborate in enhancing mutual learning and literary exchanges across civilizations. Professor Cao Shunqing expressed strong appreciation for the work of the Research Center for Civilizations Mutual Learning and the "Belt and Road" at CDU, highlighting the significance of mutual learning among civilizations for development and exchange. Min Nan presented the latest achievements of Chengdu's cultural construction and affirmed the valuable contributions of Tianfu culture research. Li Hao recognized the symposium's synergistic impact on cultural strategy decision-making.

In the keynote speech "Reshaping Civilization and Building Chinese Discourse", Professor Cao Shunqing highlighted that the contemporary misrepresentation of Chinese academic discourse is fundamentally a problem of civilization. He proposed that we should start from redefining the concept of civilization, reflecting on the path of modern interpretation of ancient Chinese literary theory, and fostering a contemporary Chinese academic discourse towards the world through the mutual understanding of civilizations. Simon Estok, an academician at the European Academy of Sciences and Arts and a professor at Sungkyunkwan University in South Korea, emphasized the need for East-West exchanges and the necessity for the West to lend a more attentive ear to the East in his report titled "Transnational Literature Studies in the Age of Climate Change", based on case studies involving popular culture and significant events, In his report titled "Chinese-English Studies and Mutual Learning among Civilizations: A Comparative Focus on 'Duiju' and Couplet", Professor Huang Weiliang of the Chinese University of Hong Kong explored the apparent similarities and underlying differences between these two concepts and revealed the different logics and influences of civilizations. Professor Peng Jixiang at Peking University highlighted that Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism constitute the spirit of traditional Chinese art, with the theme of "Traditional Chinese Culture and Poets in Tang Dynasty". Professor Zhang Fa at Sichuan University, in his report "Prospecting the Evolution of Contemporary Literature from the Mutual Learning between Chinese Literature and Western Literature", argued that the innovative integration between Chinese literature and Western literature has brought about a new realm. In his report titled "New Directions of Literature Research in the Era of Digital Intelligence", Professor Wang Zhaopeng at Sichuan University illustrated the new directions of literature research by leveraging his experience in digitalization and visualization. He advocated for breaking through disciplinary boundaries through a problem-centered approach to stimulate innovative thinking and generate new accomplishments. In her research titled "Xi Jinping Thought on Culture and Research on Chinese Literature", Professor Jin Huimin of Sichuan University emphasized the significance of understanding the complex meanings of cultural concepts as a prerequisite for conducting literature research. In his report titled "On the Nationality and Worldwide Relationship of China's Spirit and Chinese Literature", Professor Gao Yu at Zhejiang Normal University highlighted that the channel of expression for Chinese literature or literary theory can be considered "two-legged", encompassing both classical Chinese and modern Chinese. In her report titled "The Contribution of Tianfu Culture to Chinese Civilization", Professor Yang Yuhua at CDU presented a comprehensive overview of the history of Tianfu culture and Bashu literature, highlighting the profound richness of Tianfu culture and its significant role in shaping Chinese civilization.

The symposium's sub-forums focused on the development of a philosophy and social science system with distinctive Chinese characteristics and Bashu style. The discussions explored various dimensions, including the construction of the "three systems" of philosophy and social sciences, mutual learning and reinterpretation of literary history, Bashu literature and its international communication, the establishment of the Bashu school of literature research, the influence of Bashu experience on Chinese literature, the origins and contemporary revitalization of "Shu studies", literary and artistic research in countries and regions along the Belt and Road, as well as interdisciplinary approaches and the construction of new liberal arts. More than 100 experts and scholars had in-depth discussions at the symposium. They came from various universities and research institutions, including Sichuan University, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Beijing Foreign Studies University , Southwest Jiaotong University, Guangxi University, Yunnan University, Yunnan Normal University, Southwest Minzu University, Northwest Minzu University, Chengdu University of Technology, Sichuan Normal University, Guizhou Normal University, Ningxia University, China West Normal University, Sichuan University of Science and Engineering, Xihua University, Yanbian University, Lingnan Normal University, Panzhihua University, Xichang University, and CDU.

The symposium was sponsored by the Chinese Association for Theory of Literature and Art, CDU, the Collaborative Innovation Center for Chinese Multi-ethnic Cultures Cohesion and Global Communication (Co-construction Center by Sichuan Province and Ministry of Education) under the Ministry of Education "2011" Plan, and Chengdu Academy of Social Sciences. It was organized by the Research Center for Civilizations Mutual Learning and the "Belt and Road" in Chengdu University, the College of Literature and Journalism of CDU, and the Journal Center of CDU. More than 100 scholars from over 40 universities across China and overseas attended the symposium.