On the afternoon of October 23, 2023, at 2:30 p.m., Professor Rüdiger Lohlker from the University of Vienna in Austria was invited to our school for an in-depth discussion with the faculty. The seminar, chaired by Dean Cao Ruonan, primarily focused on the challenges and development of North African countries, as well as the topics and research approaches in area studies.
Professor Lohlker first emphasized the importance of geographical concepts in area studies focusing on North African countries. He pointed out that when studying North African countries, attention must be paid to their colonial history, clarification of different countries' political systems, and analysis of language usage in different countries. Taking French as an example, Professor Lohlker proposed that the analysis of language policies and language phenomena in international and area studies must be combined with the actual research field, emphasizing the importance of tracing the historical context of language policy formulation and language usage. Furthermore, Professor Lohlker engaged in discussions with the attendees on topics such as language and identity, methods of regional country studies, directions and approaches in topic selection, as well as strategies for paper publication.
Through in-depth exchanges with Professor Lohlker, participating faculty gained a deeper understanding of area studies focusing on North African countries. They also developed a clearer understanding on research directions and approaches, which is crucial for achieving better results in their future research endeavors.
Text: Li Yan
Photo: Li Jia