JSNU co-hosted the “Friendship Beyond Mountains and Seas: China-Panama Civilization Dialogue Dual-Theme Painting Exhibition” with Ibero-American Branch of the Western Returned Scholars Association (WRSA) on the morning of September 25. Attending the opening ceremony were Wang Weihua, Former President of the Branch, Lei Hong, Executive Vice President, Zhu Xiaoyan, Vice President, Xu Ziyu, Deputy Director of the United Front Work Department of Xuzhou Municipal Committee, Rui Guoqiang, Secretary of the CPC Jiangsu Normal University (JSNU) Committee, Du Zengji, Presidentof JSNU, and Huang Dezhi, Vice Presidentof JSNU, who presided over the ceremony.
At the opening ceremony, Lei Hong stated that the exhibition not only provided a platform for display and exchange for artists from China and Panama, but also deepened friendship between the two nations’ artists. The Branch will continue to leverage its role as a talent pool for serving the motherland through overseas studies, a think tank for policy suggestions, and a vital force in people-to-people diplomacy, contributing to higher-level opening-up and the high-quality construction of the Belt and Road Initiative.Professor Meng Zhaoyi from JSNU, Secretary-General of the Xuzhou Branch of the Grand Canal Cultural Belt Construction Research Institute, shared the legendary tales of the Grand Canal, guiding the audience to explore its historical heritage and contemporary value, and reinvigorating cultural memory through inheritance.
In his address, Du Zengji emphasized the hope of taking this exhibition as an opportunity to further deepen international cooperation. He called for strengthening cross-civilizational dialogue and cultural integration, exploring in-depth academic collaboration paths with Panamanian universities, promoting joint art exhibitions and faculty-student exchanges, and enabling more youth to enhance mutual understanding through creative practices.Additionally, JSNU will continue to leverage its disciplinary strengths, collaborate with all parties to host more China-Latin American cultural exchange events, and make civilized dialogue an important bridge for fostering friendship.
The exhibition runs through October 10, featuring over 100 artworks: 35 by Chinese artists, 46 by Panamanian artists, and 21 by faculty and students of the School of Fine Arts. The exhibited works weave together the historical contexts and cultural landscapes of the two canals and nations, scripting a new chapter in the era of China-Panama friendship.
