The student-curated poster exhibition titled “Discovering the Legacy: History of Western Sinology” took place from December 1st to December 10th, 2023. The exhibition was organized by Dr. Wong Wei Chin and Miss Connie Li and involved the participation of all the 2021 cohort students from the Chinese Culture and Global Communication (CCGC) program, which is a part of the Department of Communication at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of BNU-HKBU United International College (UIC). The event was held at the atrium located on the first floor of the Learning Resource Centre (LRC).

Figure 1: Poster exhibition held at the atrium located on the first floor of the Learning Resource Centre (LRC).

The exhibition focused on introducing the lives and contributions of 26 Western sinologists from the 16th to 19th centuries, hailing from various European countries, including Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Germany, England, etc. Some notable sinologists featured in the exhibition included Matteo Ricci from Italy, Robert Morrison and James Legge from England, and Stanislas Julien and Henri Cordier from France. The posters showcased the biographies of these prominent sinologists, their writings about China, and their significant contributions to the field of Chinese studies. This exhibition represented a new endevor by the CCGC 2021 cohort students, who sought to transform their learning outcomes from major courses into academic poster presentations with an emphasis on aesthetic design, thereby showcasing their abilities to the entire faculty and student body.

The process of creating the posters and organizing the exhibition provided valuable learning experiences for the CCGC 2021 cohort students. When reviewing the process of group collaboration in designing posters, Sophie expressed her satisfaction with the collaborative aspects of poster design, stating, “Working with team members to create a poster was a highly rewarding experience. Through multiple discussions, we were able to arrive at a final version that we were all pleased with.” Max commented on the broader impact of the project, saying, “The process of creating sinologist posters expanded my knowledge and perspective, while also allowing me to deeply appreciate the importance and joy of teamwork.”

Figure 2, 3, 4 and 5: Sophie Wu, Cyrus Zhang, Meg Duan, Rebecca Liu, Elaine Yang, and Ziang Lin, who are CCGC 2021 students, setting up the poster exhibition at the Learning Resource Center.

The exhibition attracted students from various majors and even different countries. Stan from France praised the visual quality and clarity of the information presented, stating, “The visual design is excellent, and the information is presented clearly, making it easy to understand.” Judy, a student from the Faculty of Business and Management, expressed her appreciation for the opportunity to learn about Sinology, stating, “This poster exhibition provided me with a great opportunity to learn about Sinology, which is a subject I am not very familiar with. The poster designs made it easier to comprehend the contribution made by these Western sinologists and disseminating Chinese culture.”

Figure 6 and 7: Many student viewers vote for their favorite posters at the exhibition.

Over the course of the 10-day exhibition, a total of 191 votes were cast. The exhibition concluded on December 10th, with the result of Group number 3 to have received the highest votes among the viewers.

Figure 8: The winning poster made by  Group 3 has received the highest number of votes. The group members are Meg Yingtong DUAN, Rebecca Yan LIU and Guillaume Wilfried Binh Tao SZONYI.

Figure 9: A group photo of CCGC 2021 cohort students with Dr. Wei Chin WONG and Ms. Connie Li (the first and the second individual on the left of the front row) at the exhibition.

Acknowledgments:

· Department of Communication, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

· Learning Resource Centre (LRC)

Reporter: Zoey Yilun ZHAO

Photos: Yu CAO & Feiyu CHEN

Editor: Dr. Wei Chin WONG and Miss Connie LI