From November 10, 2019 to November 16, 2019, "Jilin University Students' International Competitiveness Excellence Program" - "Oxford University—Jilin University Short-term Philosophical Course Program" was held successfully. Ph.D. graduate student Sui Yuhang, postgraduate students Zhang Huixue, Shao Lingjuan, Jiang Haoliang, Mu Guangsheng, Shao Hongyan, Liang Zhenxi, Bai Yuqiao, undergraduate students Wang Tianhong, Zhou Jinke, all these ten students took part in the short-term philosophical course program at Oxford University on behalf of the college of philosophy and sociology. Philosophy teacher, Mr. Sheng Chuanjie, was the team leader.
Before the program, the students, as applicants, all wrote their own English papers on the topic of “Virtue Ethics”. Besides, all of them prepared PPT on the basis of their papers. In the form of interview, the school organized students to make English speeches on their own papers, and the interviewer teachers put forward their opinions and suggestions on each student's paper and speech. The students revised their papers according to the teachers' suggestions and made full preparations for this short-term course program.
On November 10, the exchange team arrived at Oxford. That day coincided with the Remembrance Day. In order to commemorate the sacrifice of soldiers and civilians during the World War I, Oxford held a grand ceremony. Under the guidance of Mr. Leo, one of the directors of this program from Oxford University, the team witnessed the ceremony. Through the activity, all the members not only felt the British respect for peace, but also experienced the British culture. On November 11, after a short break, the team started the courses. Members studied the history of Oxford and the etiquette of British, and they also realized the cultural differences between Britain and China.
On November 12, professor Sorin Baiasu gave the team two wonderful lessons respectively whose topics are “What Do We Deserve? The Ideal of Justice and Social Distribution” and “Philosophy as a Way of Life: Philosophical Counselling and Modern Malaise”. Students actively discussed with the professor about the issues of justice and social distribution. Meanwhile, students also put forward their own ideas about the philosophical counselling. The professor kindly answered the questions raised by the students which beneficiated the whole team a lot in return.
On November 13, a director of the program from Oxford University led the whole team to London, giving the students a chance to visit the Thames and the British Museum. Through the introduction of the Thames and the British Museum, the course of cultural development in Britain was shown to the students in a more profound and specific way, thus promoting the students' understanding of the educational background in Britain. The trip to London lent the students’ a great chance to experience the fierce collision between the ancient and the modern British culture more deeply.
On November 14, the team came to Cambridge University. Professor Hugh Mellor gave a seminar to the team which was about “Killing vs Letting Die”. The professor thought that killing a person is equal to letting a person go to die——both of the behaviors are evil equally. This idea triggered students’ thinking, and they all asked the professor some questions. Professor Mellor discussed a lot with students about some related problems of this idea kindly. He thought the idea should require further thinking in the future.
Unconsciously, the program in Britain was near to the end. On the last day, the whole team went back to Oxford to take the last courses. Dr. Mackenzie Graham described Aristotle's Virtue Ethics with the topic "Arete, Phronesis, and Eudaimonia: A Survey of Arisotelian Virtue Ethics." Since the topic was closely related to some students' research direction, the atmosphere within the classroom was very active. Then, Dr. Roxana Baiasu discussed the topic of "Feminist Discussions of Moral Justification and Autonomy" with students so as to talk about some issues about feminism. Feminism has acquired more and more attention in today's society, therefore, in the classroom all the students also launched a heated discussion. Finally, Dr. Anna Whiston began the conversation with the question, "To What Extent Is the Concept of Virtue Still Important in Today's World?" During the conversation, all the members discussed the important role of virtue ethics in the current society, and Dr. Anna Whiston put forward a hypothesis of moral fortification. She pointed out that moral fortifier can enhance people's ability of empathy and make people have a stronger desire to do virtuous things. Students all showed great interest in it and actively discussed it with Dr. Anna Whiston. At the end of the course, Dr. Anna Whiston gave the students their certificate of study. So far, "Jilin University Students' International Competitiveness Outstanding Program" - " Oxford University—Jilin University Short-term Philosophical Course Program " came to an end successfully.
All the students benefited a lot from the short one-week courses. During this exchange program, the students not only practiced their oral expression ability, but also improved their academic level and showed the elegant characteristic of philosophy students from Jilin University. This exchange consolidates the good friendship between the philosophy department of Jilin University and the philosophy department of Oxford University, which enhances the learning and communicating between philosophy students and world-class university scholars and also promotes the internationalization process and first-class discipline construction of philosophy of Jilin University.
