Intellectual Exchange between Modern China, India, and Japan: Tagore as an Example
Professor Lee Yu-ting

Supporting by the CCK-Foundation Asia-Pacific Center for Chinese Studies (CCK-APC), the Visiting Scholar Scheme has invited Lee Yu-ting, assistant professor from National Taiwan University in early October 2018 for a public lecture. With his international educational background and experience, Prof. Lee has turned his research interests to his forte in cross-cultural ideological and historical studies in East Asia. With articles published in Chinese, English, and Japanese, Prof. Lee explored how the rise of the renowned Indian poet, Rabindranath Tagore, had affected the modern history and what his stand point was on examining the concept of East Asia.

With Tagore as the central figure, Lee's lecture illustrated Tagore's formulation of such ideas as "Asia,""modernity," and "nationalism," when addressing a Western-centric world order. With interactions with Japanese and Chinese intellectuals, Tagore's views had contributed to the remaking of ideological exchanges among India, China, and Japan. The conventions of Tagore studies in the latter two countries had been shaped by their respective identifications with "Asia." The public lecture provided an opportunity for interesting academic exchange among the participants.