On March 9, the Globalisation and Development (GAD) Programme invited Dr. Wang Zhihe (王治河博士), Director of the Institute for Postmodern Development of China, in Claremont, USA, to share with students and staff his insights on Constructive Postmodernism, often referred to as “Ecological Postmodernism”, and Daoist-oriented development in China and across the world.

Dr. Wang is a prominent figure in Constructive Postmodernism, a movement that enjoys the contribution of world-renowned scholars such as Alfred North Whitehead, John B. Cobb and David R. Griffin. Among others, he authored books like “The Second Enlightenment” (第二次启蒙, Peking University Press, 2012, written with Dr. Fan Meijun), in which he explains how the Second Enlightenment can constitute a new, effective sustainable development paradigm that can inform economic growth strategies, natural resource management, leadership styles as well as learning curricula, at a time of complex, global challenges investing, simultaneously, the socio-political, economic and environmental domains.

Dr. Wang works closely with Chinese scholars, prestigious publishing houses, and universities to actively promote Constructive Postmodernism and Ecological Civilisation both in academia and among the wider society.

Students and faculty members in attendance were delighted to hear such a relevant scholar’s perspective on topics that closely reflect their major’s contents.

The GAD Programme thanks Dr. Wang and hopes to have him share his insights and experience with the UIC community again soon!