Keynote Speaker:

Sun Xiaochun, Professor at the School of Humanities, the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences and Academician of the International Academy of the History of Science, is the author of monographs including The Starry Skies of Han China, Accumulation of Civilization: Ancient Chinese Science and Technology and China’s Celestial Measuring Rulers, and has published over 100 academic papers; he previously served as Council Member of the International Council for Philosophy and Human Sciences (CIPSH), Council Member of the Division of History of Science and Technology (DHST) under the International Union of History and Philosophy of Science and Technology (IUHPST), Chair of the Commission for the History of Astronomy of the International Astronomical Union (IAU), and President of the Chinese Society for the History of Science and Technology from 2015 to 2025, and currently serves as an Executive Committee Member of the Division of Education, Outreach and Heritage of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and Lead Coordinator of the CIPSH Chair Programme of the International Council for Philosophy and Human Sciences (CIPSH).

Main Content:

The 20th century witnessed sweeping scientific revolutions worldwide and marked a critical turning point for the modernization of Chinese civilization. Starting with Planck’s quantum hypothesis proposed in 1900, groundbreaking theories and technologies emerged one after another, including relativity, quantum mechanics, molecular biology, modern cosmology, computing and information technology. These innovations fundamentally transformed humanity’s understanding of matter, life, the cosmos and human beings themselves, and reshaped the modes of production and daily life across modern societies.

In parallel, China underwent a profound historical shift: the abolition of imperial civil service examinations, the establishment of modern schooling, and the construction of a formal contemporary research system. The country gradually transitioned from indigenous traditional knowledge systems to modern scientific frameworks, evolving into a vital contributor to global scientific progress.

Centered on two core historical threads—the global scientific revolution and the modern transformation of Chinese civilization—this lecture reviews landmark scientific breakthroughs of the 20th century and their far-reaching civilizational implications. It examines how modern science was introduced to and reshaped China, as well as the mutual influences between Western science and China’s society, education and cultural landscape. By retracing the century-long historical trajectory from 1900 to 2000, the lecture re-examines the intricate relationships between science and civilization, China and the world, tradition and modernity, and forecasts China’s role and contributions to global scientific development in the 21st century.

Time: June 23, 2026 (Tue), 16:30

Location: Coffee Beanery

Organizer:

Advanced Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences (AI-HSS)