On 10th, February, 2006, Dr. Tao Lei, Associate Professor of IRSSS returned to Shandong University after completing the one-year visiting scholar work at Harvard-Yanching Institute, Harvard University. During his visit, Dr. Tao specialized in the researches in Shu shu (数术) and science of ancient China, and obtained expected research results.
On 23rd, February 2006, China’s Ministry of Education (MOE) issued its document on Notice of Establishing the 2006-2010 Steering Committee of Some Disciplines Teaching in Higher Education Institutions, and published the new member list of the committees. Professor Jiang Sheng, Director of IRSSS, SDU, was appointed member of the State Steering Committee of History Teaching. His tenure will begin from 1st, January 2006 till 31st, December 2010.
The State Steering Committee of Teaching is organization of experts and non-standing academic institution, under leading of MOE. It is commissioned by MOE to steer and guide the educational undertakings for all Chinese higher education institutions and vocational or technical schools, through research, consultations, guidance, evaluation, services, etc.
From 3rd to 8th, March 2006, Professor Jiang Sheng attended the Fifth International Conference of Chinese Buddhism at Fagushan, Taiwan, and delivered his paper “Rituals of exorcising Plague and the Belief of Guanyin — Guanyin as a Kind of Goddess of Smallpox and the Belief of Great Saint Sizhou”.
On 29th, March, 2006, Doctor Liang Yancheng paid his second visit to IRSSS, SDU after his visit to IRSSS two years ago. He got his PhD in Chinese Philosophy from Hawaii University, and he is a renowned philosopher, writer, and commentator of politics, founder and dean of Research Center of Culture Renovation of Canada, chief editor of journal Culture China. In SDU this time, he held the academic activities full of contents, the detail is as follows:
(1) On the evening of 29th, an academic lecture entitled “Taology” was held, attended were all the graduates of IRSSS, and the students from other schools and departments.
(2) On the evening of 30th, Mr. Liang held an academic talk with Professor Jiang Sheng centering on Taology. Mr. Liang put forward the concept of “Cultural Talk” in Culture China in 1994, which breaks through the conventional thinking of antagonism and confrontation. Mr. Liang held several academic talks with renowned scholars, philosophers, and thinkers in the Mainland, made an important contribution to strengthening academic communications. At this talk, the speech part, Mr. Liang who persisted in Taoist philosophy in all his life; the other part, Professor Jiang Sheng, renowned scholar of Daoism. During the direct talk the two scholars both made excellent speeches, the content of which will be printed in the journal of Culture China, and also in the international journal of religion and science Renaiscience sponsored by IRSSS. Audience was Professor Hu Weiqing, Professor Liu Yufeng, Associate Professor Fan Xuehui from SDU, Associate Professor Ge Huanli from IRSSS, as well as many graduate students.
(3) On the evening of 30th, Doctor Liang made an academic lecture entitled “Vista of Associating with the Creator”.
In April 2006, Dr. Tong Waihop, official of the Yuen Yuen Institute, Hong Kong, concurrent Professor of IRSSS, the second chief editor of The History of Science and Technology in Taoism, paid a work visit to IRSSS. The main purpose of his visit is to discuss with Professor Jiang Sheng the editing task on Volume II of The History of Science and Technology in Taoism, the progress of Volume III of The History of Science and Technology in Taoism, as well as the funding of Renaiscience, the international journal of religion and science by IRSSS. The Yuen Yuen Institute at Hong Kong will fund the publication of Renaiscience.
In late October 2006, an International academic conference, Laoshan Forum on Dao, Sponsored by IRSSS, SDU with the assistance of Laoshan Taiqing Temple and Laoshan Kangcheng Academy, is arranged to be convened in Laoshan, Qingdao, where is a famous tourist resort and sacred land of Daoism. At present, preparations for the Conference formally begin. Laoshan Forum on Dao is planned to be held every year. The theme of this year is “Harmony and Humanity”. Renowned scholars of Daoism from China and oversea, personages of Daoist religion, will be invited to join in the discussions and talks on Daoism and Science, ecology, social harmony, etc. The Conference Organizers hope to promote the developing of academic researches through this forum, and extend conversations and communications with oversea scholars, and people from religious community.
IRSSS began the first stage of GPSS-MAP Project in March 2005. In the past year, the carrying-out of GPSS Project considerably promoted the academic researches of IRSSS. The effect was embodied in the following aspects:
(1) Opening the new direction of Daoist researches. At present IRSSS is writing and editing Volume II and III of The History of Science and Technology in Taoism, on the basis of which, one task of GPSS Project Daoism: Past and Present broadens deeply the above work, and strengthens the probe and discussions of the theories and philosophy concerning Daoism and science, which is the weak link in the researches in the mainland of China.
(2) Extending the talk and communications with between the national circle of Daoism researches, the circles of foreign religious studies, and scientists & technologists, and greatly broadening the field vision in researches, which enable some new approaches and angles of view to be applied to academic researches and receive a good effect.
Promoting the construction of the academic research team of IRSSS. On the basis of GPSS, we set up an academic research team, composed of multi-subject scholars including scientists, historians of science, scholars of religious studies, and philosophers to go in for the trans-subject researches. Right now the construction of the research team is under perfection. IRSSS intends to invite the people from the circle of science and from the circle of scientific philosophy to join in. In view of the above-mentioned statements, we attach great importance to applying for the Project of GPSS-MAP. Now we are establishing a new team to make the further research plan.
From 8th to 14th, May 2006, Professor James Miller, Queen’s University of Canada, gave a work visit to IRSSS. Accompanied by Professor Jiang Sheng and associate professor Louis Komjathy, he went to Mount Hantong, Laizhou city and Mount Lao, Qingdao city, exploring some daoist caverns with academic interest. The relation between Daoism and ecology is the academic field of Professor James Miller. He paid great attention in Daoist caves in Shandong since last November when Prof. Jiang Sheng delivered his paper on the study of Daoism in China, talking about the relation of Daoism and science, architecture, and caves, at the annual meeting of American Academy of Religion.
Project list of the eleventh “five-year plan” was recently issued by National Planning Office of Philosophy and Social Science (NPOPSS). “The History of Science and Technology in Taoism (420-1911)”, the project of IRSSS directed by Professor Jiang Sheng, was established as state key project with project No. 06AZS001.
Based on the achievement of “The History of Science and Technology in Daoism, Volume 1. From Han to Jin Dynasties, national key project No. 98AZJ002 in the ninth and tenth of “five-year plans”, the new project will continue to cooperate with international academia, and keep to widen academic kens and deepen relevant studies, aiming to obtain a series of innovative fruits.
At the afternoon of June 21st, 2006 Professor Jiang Sheng was invited by Shandong Technology University to give a lecture to students of Huangdao campus, Qingdao. The topic of his lecture is “the Cultural Background of Science”. In his speech, Prof. Jiang Sheng analyzed the mental and spiritual background. Through comparing the historical and cultural backgrounds on which Chinese and western sciences and medicine generated respectively, he expounded that their definite ethos played actually dominating role on their generation and later development (or degeneration) of science in different cultures. Professor Jiang was invited by Shandong Technology University; his speech attracted more than 200 interested audiences.