NPU News Network, November 8th (report by Zhang Yunlong and Du Yao, photo by Ren Lei). From November 4 to 5, the First Marxist Academic Forum of Science, Technology and Society was held in NPU, which was hosted by China’s Research Association of Dialectics of Nature and Professional Committee for Science, Technology and Society of China’s Research Association of Dialectics of Nature, and jointly undertaken by School of Marxism in NPU, Shaanxi Provincial Research Association of Dialectics of Nature and School of Marxism in Nanjing University. More than 50 scholars from over 20 domestic universities and core journals, including University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Peking University, Tsinghua University, Nanjing University and Renmin University of China, participated in the forum together with teachers from related disciplines in our university. The forum also attracted doctoral students from universities all over the country.
Zhang Hailan, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC and Secretary of Discipline Inspection Committee of NPU, delivered the opening speech. Cui weiqi, Deputy Secretary General of China’s Research Association of Dialectics of Nature and Associate Editor ofResearch on Dialectics of nature, Wu Kun, Director of Shaanxi Provincial Research Association of Dialectics of Nature and Hu Daping, Dean of School of Marxism in Nanjing University and Changjiang Scholar gave speeches respectively.Lu Weiping, Secretary of the Party Committee of School of Marxism, presided over the opening ceremony, while Yang Yunxia, Dean of School of Marxism, presided over the closing ceremony.
Zhang Hailan pointed out in her speech that China’s development has entered into a new era. Under the background of theoretical innovation in the new era, Philosophy and Social Sciences will shoulder an obligatory duty. In the construction of “Double First-rate” (world-class universities and world-class disciplines), NPU should not only have the first-rate discipline of Science and Engineering but also of Philosophy and Social Sciences.In the future, the university will continue to strongly support the development of Philosophy and Social Sciences, and further strengthen the construction of School of Marxism. This “Marxist Academic Forum of Science, Technology and Society” has gathered first-rate experts and scholars in the field of Dialectics of Nature. It is hoped that the convening of this forum will further improve the academic level of Philosophy and Social Sciences in our university, further strengthen the construction of Marxist Theory Discipline in our university, and further promote our teachers and students to study and understand the latest academic trends.
In the stage of keynote speech, scholars focused on the frontier of science and technology as well as social development, and discussed “Science, Technology and Society” in the perspective of Marxist Theory from multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary views, which centered on issues such as “The philosophical problem of intelligent age”, “Problems of Science, Technology and Society(STS) in Marxist Classic Text”, “The logical evolution and theoretical essence of Critical Theory of Technology”, “ ‘Moral materialization’ in technical design”and “Engineering philosophy and engineering culture”.In the stage of free discussion, scholars also had a heated discussion on issues like “Governance with technology” and “Political research of engineering”.
In the afternoon of November 5th, the editors of CSSCI journals, such asJournal of Dialectics of Nature,Philosophical Trends,Jianghai Academic Journal,Zhejiang Social SciencesandJournal of Huazhong University of Science and Technology (Social Science Edition), had a discussion with teachers related to Humanities and Social Sciences in our university. The editors introduced the features, columns and selection criteria of each journal respectively, and gave a serious introduction and reply to relevant topics concerned by teachers in our university.
Science and technology are the first driving force of social development.From the perspective of Marxism, it is interdisciplinary to explore the internal relationship and philosophical issues between science＆technology and society.The convening of “the First Marxist Academic Forum of Science, Technology and Society” is helpful to excavate new materials, find new problems, put forward new ideas and build new theories from the practice of China’s reform and development.Participants hope to continue in-depth research in this field and build the forum into an institutional academic card.
