The 13th International Symposium on Hanzi Shufa Education, a pivotal event in the field of Chinese calligraphy, concluded with a resounding success last weekend, July 29-30, 2023. This renowned event was held online, organized by the American Society of Shufa Calligraphy Education (ASSCE), which has been serving a leading role in international Chinese Shufa calligraphy education.
The two-day symposium commenced with an opening address from the President and Executive Director of ASSCE, offering a warm welcome to all participants from around the globe. The keynote speaker for the day, Dr. Xiliang Cui, a Professor at the Beijing Language and Culture University, provided thought-provoking insights on "International Dissemination of Chinese Calligraphy and Global Education of Chinese Language." Another keynote speaker, Dr. Peter Kocak, Professor in the Art Education Department at Presov University and ASSCE Advisory Committee Member, delved into "The Main Challenges of Non-Chinese Students Learning Calligraphy."
Day two continued the momentum with keynote presentations by Professor Zuosheng Liu from Aichi Gakuin University on "Exploring the Popularity of Japanese Group Performative Calligraphy" and Professor Ying Liu from the National Taichung University of Education on "Calligraphy Classroom Teaching and Application of Online Resources". The symposium concluded with a closing address from Dr. Daan Pan, the Ex-Executive Director of ASSCE and faculty at California State Polytechnic University Pomona.
More than 20 presenters spanning different fields of research and regions participated in the five panels, illuminating various themes such as Curriculum and Teaching Methods, Chinese Characters and Shufa Calligraphy Study, Functions of Calligraphy, Implementation of Technology in Calligraphy Education, and Teacher Professional Growth.
The success of the symposium was attributed to the tireless efforts of all participants, including the audience, presenters, keynote speakers, and the Advisory Committee. A special mention was made to acknowledge the hard work of the ASSCE Board of Directors, including Huiwen Li, Nian Liu, Li Li, Chunmei Guan, Ren Li, Chunmeng Wang, Yu Li, Tonglu Li, Pengfei Li, and Yuan Xu. Their meticulous planning and execution of the symposium culminated in a rewarding experience for calligraphy educators and practitioners alike.
Looking forward, the ASSCE has announced that the 14th International Symposium on Hanzi Shufa Education will be held in 2025. Further updates will be provided in due course. The recent success of the symposium has indeed set a high benchmark and signifies an exciting future for the calligraphy world.