News & Events

 October 23, 2025

Professor Galin Tihanov, a Fellow of the British Academy (FBA) and Member of the Academia Europaea (MAE), was officially appointed as a Distinguished Visiting Professor at Chongqing University (CQU). The appointment ceremony, held on the same day, also marked the inauguration of the CQU Research Center for World Literature and the History of Ideas, heralding a new chapter for advanced research and international collaboration in the humanities at the university.

Professor Tihanov is a world-renowned and prolific scholar in comparative literature and literary theory. He is currently the George Steiner Professor of Comparative Literature at Queen Mary University of London. He has held numerous prestigious academic positions, including Chair of the ICLA Committee on Literary Theory and member of the Executive Council of the Harvard Institute for World Literature. His research spans world literary theory, exile literature, cultural translation, and intellectual history.

The appointment ceremony was hosted by Professor Fang Weigui, a Hongshen Distinguished Scholar of Chongqing University and a Member of the Academia Europaea. Distinguished guests included Professor Terian, Vice-Rector of Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu and a professor of Romanian literature. In his welcoming address, Sun Jianglin, Party Secretary of the Liberal Arts College, commended Professor Tihanov’s remarkable academic achievements. He emphasized that the addition of a world-class scholar would invigorate the college and holds profound significance for promoting the internationalization of liberal arts education. Yang Chun, Director of the Office of International Affairs, formally presented the letter of appointment to Professor Tihanov.

Taking the opportunity of Professor Tihanov’s appointment, Professor Li Guangyi, Vice Dean of the Liberal Arts College, announced the official establishment of the Research Center for World Literature and the History of Ideas. Professor Fang Weigui was appointed as the Center’s Director, and Professor Tihanov will serve as its Academic Advisor. Professor Li stated that the center aims to integrate faculty and academic resources from within and beyond the university, building a high-level platform for research and innovation to actively support CQU’s “Double First-Class” development strategy.

Following the ceremony, Professor Tihanov delivered his compelling inaugural lecture, titled “Cosmopolitanism and the Mission of the Humanities,” at the Liberal Arts College’s Auditorium. He began by skillfully analyzing the internal tensions within ‘cosmopolitanism,’ distinguishing between two core types: ‘cultural cosmopolitanism’ and ‘political cosmopolitanism.’ He then profoundly illustrated the historical interaction and fusion of these two strands, citing the experiences of the exiled Russian Formalist school and the translation practices of Lu Xun. Professor Tihanov argued that exile can stimulate cultural creativity that transcends geographical boundaries. Meanwhile, Lu Xun’s translation work serves as a powerful model, perfectly demonstrating how an expanded cultural vision can combine with the pursuit of national independence and political equality to empower the voices of smaller nations.

Finally, Professor Tihanov turned to the present, issuing a powerful call to action for the future of the humanities. He stressed that the most urgent mission for the humanities today is to defend and cultivate a profound sense of “shared humanity.” He urged scholars to overcome the barriers of over-specialization, resist the erosion of utilitarianism, and actively respond to the shared challenges of our time with an interdisciplinary vision and a deep sense of history. The lecture, with its grand vision and deep humanistic concern, received enthusiastic applause from the faculty and students in attendance.

The appointment of Professor Galin Tihanov brings world-class academic thought and leadership to the development of liberal arts at Chongqing University. It marks a significant milestone in the internationalization of the Liberal Arts College and will provide powerful support for CQU’s ambition to build the best institution for liberal arts education in Western China.