Freiburg China talks 2017

Dissidents, political leaders, entrepreneurs, and artists - any of them can be heroes. A new lecture series looks at examples from China’s history and its present, comparing them with well-known figures from other societies. What are the similarities and the differences? Where is the dividing line between heroes, role models, and stars?

The series begins on 18 May 2017 at 6:30pm with a talk by Professor Tim Epkenhans of the University of Freiburg’s Orientalisches Seminar and Dr. Kristin Shi-Kupfer of the Mercator Institute for China Studies in Berlin. The session will focus on Nobel Peace Prize laureates Liu Xiaobo of China and Shirin Ebadi from Iran. Both are human rights activists who are persecuted in their home countries despite being honored internationally. Liu Xiaobo is a writer. In 2009 he was sentenced to eleven years in prison for criticizing the system; Shirin Ebadi was Iran’s first woman judge, but had to leave the country because of her human rights work. In the lecture, the reasons for the differing perceptions of these two activists at home and outside their home countries will be discussed. Further China talks take place on 21.06, 13.11 and 06.12.17. All of the lectures start at 18.30pm at the Historisches Kaufhaus Freiburg.

The series is organized by the University of Freiburg’s Institute of Chinese Studies and the collaborative research center “Heroes - Heroizations - Heroisms,” as well as at the China Forum Freiburg e.V. The events are open to all; they are conducted in German. Admission is free; please register at christine.strecker@fwtm.de.

Further information and program (only in German)


Contact:
Professor Nicola Spakowski
Institute for Chinese Studies
University of Freiburg        
Phone: 0761/203-67751
Email: nicola.spakowski@sinologie.uni-freiburg.de