Lingnan University co-hosts the 11th South-South Forum - leading experts discuss Health and the Road to Sustainability

The 11th South-South Forum was held at Lingnan University from 30 June to 5 July, with the theme "Health and the Road to Sustainability". The forum, conducted both on and offline, attracted more than 500 leading scholars, experts, and students from Hong Kong, Mainland China, and around the world, including Prof Lau Kin-chi, coordinator of the programme on the Culture of Sustainability of Centre for Cultural Research and Development of Lingnan University; Prof Lyu Aiping, Vice-President (Research and Development) of Hong Kong Baptist University; Prof Huang Ping, Executive Vice President of the Chinese Institute of Hong Kong; Dr Herman Yau Lai-to, Hong Kong film director; Prof Wang Hui, Director of the Tsinghua Institute for Advanced Study in Humanities and Social Sciences of Tsinghua University; Prof Dai Jinhua, Director of the Center for Film Studies and Cultural Studies of Peking University, and Prof Pan Gongkai, Director of the Fudan Art Institute of Fudan University.

The opening ceremony of the South-South Forum was held on 2 July. Prof Xin Yao, Vice-President (Research and Innovation) and Tong Tin Sun Chair Professor of Machine Learning at Lingnan University, welcomed the guests warmly and emphasised Lingnan University's commitment to sustainable development, saying "Lingnan University has made sustainable development a priority. Sustainability-related topics are incorporated into the university's undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, and many Lingnan scholars and researchers are engaged in interdisciplinary collaboration, in-depth research, and data analysis on sustainable development. Lingnan University hopes the South-South Forum will be an opportunity to facilitate exchanges and cooperation with scholars and experts to jointly explore solutions to the current global challenges of sustainable development.”

South-South refers to developing as opposed to developed countries and regions. This year's South-South Forum delved into three sub-themes under the main topic of Health and the Road to Sustainability. The first, "Cultural Tradition, Physical and Mental Health, and Sustainability", featured speakers discussing how the Chinese cultural tradition with its concept of the unity of heaven and humanity can innovate, while maintaining its fundamental principles amid the collision of Eastern and Western cultures. Speakers included Prof Lyu Aiping; Prof Wen Jianmin, Director of the Wangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Science and World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies; Prof Yuan Zhong, Professor of Peking Union Medical College; and Prof Pan Gongkai.

Prof Wen Jianmin discussed the integration of traditional Chinese and Western medicine, highlighting its history and guiding ideology, and achievements, such as the development of artemisinin. He believes that the combination must be tested through medical practice and should adhere to the principles of integrity and innovation. Prof Yuan Zhong thinks that the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine lie in its focus on preventing diseases before they occur.

The second sub-theme was "Health and Sustainability", and Prof Huang Ping, Prof Dai Jinhua, Prof Wen Tiejun, Dean of Research Institute of Rural Revitalization, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Prof Wang Hui, and other scholars from around the world discussed the crisis of globalisation and how humanity can consciously choose a sustainable path leading to serenity of mind and heart, and social peace. The speakers also examined the relevance of the North-South and South-South frameworks, reflected on the experiences and lessons of development and healthcare, broadened the boundaries of the health discourse, and explored paths to health projects and cultural sustainability.

The third sub-theme was "Health and Community Sustainability", and scholars from Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, Malaysia, India, Zimbabwe, Bhutan, Mexico, Venezuela, and Brazil spoke on whether community building and human health can be achieved and sustained based on good community governance, ensuring the quality of people's livelihoods, valuing inclusiveness in community life, and building an ecological civilisation.

In addition to keynote speeches, the film "The Book of Fish" was shown at the forum, and a sharing session held with Prof Dai Jinhua and Dr Herman Yau Lai-to.

The 11th South-South Forum was organised by the Centre for Cultural Research and Development of Lingnan University, the Chinese Institute of Hong Kong, the School of Chinese Medicine of Hong Kong Baptist University, and the Global University of Sustainability.