On April 10, the Guest Discussion organized by IAS, was successfully held. The theme of this discussion was “The World as Historical Analogy” featuring Dr. Xin FAN, Director of Studies at Lucy Cavendish College, Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, the University of Cambridge as the speakers. The event was moderated by Prof. Shaoyang LIN, Head of Academic Programme and Publication of lAS, Distinguished Professor of FAH, the University of Macau.
At the beginning, Dr. Xin FAN firstly introduced the background of the methodology of comparison and Chinese contribution in this field. After that, Dr. Xin FAN pointed out the limitations of the methodology of comparison in studying historical issues, and highlighted his concern about the theoretical reflexivity when applying it. In this way, Dr. Xin FAN proposed to use the analogy method to study historical problems. By introducing the definition, types and applications of analogy, Dr. Xin FAN emphasized that the analogy can be more creative and flexible, providing more opportunities and horizons for historical research.
Prof. Lin briefly summarized and further supplemented Dr. Xin FAN’s presentation. He again emphasized the complexity of the methodology of comparison and then explored the emergence of global history and its characteristics by adding relevant background knowledge on global history to better complement the discussion on the relationship between global history and world history.
In the subsequent Q&A session, faculty and students actively posed questions, discussing the application of methods of comparative and analogy in different fields, and further explored other related topics such as globalization and international law. The academic exchanges at the discussion forum were active and in-depth, presenting a lively atmosphere of interdisciplinary interaction.
The Guest Discussion organized by IAS aim to promote academic interaction and interdisciplinary communication within universities, and encourage scholars from different fields to discuss global academic issues. This discussion attracted numerous scholars from within the university, including Prof. Xingzhong YU, Director of IAS; Prof. LAM lok Fong, Agnes, Director of CMS; Prof. Liu YANG, College Master of MLC; and Prof. Joshua Parr EHRLICH from the FAH. The event fostered interdisciplinary exchange across different research fields while allowing participants to delve deeper into analogical methods.
