Friday, March 16, 2007

Networks and common purpose
















Last summer, this blog described a humorous incident at Nanjing's Oxford English Academy which reflected cultural differences (see enty of June 20, 07 "Office Etiquette, but whose ?) China Daily recently referred to the entry in a profile of Sir Barry Jowett :

The piece in China Daily describes Sir Barry's efforts to address cultural differences between China and the West by developing the newly formed Kongzi Academy:
www.kongziacademy.com Anyone who has worked with Sir Barry knows he has a unique talent for bringing people together around areas of common interest.

The restored Temple to Kongzi (Confucius) is an enchanting setting for what promises to be a unique center for cultural study. It includes exhibits of traditional Chinese practices such as silk weaving (see below). I am proud to that East Tennessee State University hopes to be involved in projects with the center.














I first began blogging to avoid clogging people's virtual mailboxes with pictures of China. But in a time of networked intercommunication, blogs like this one become part of a worldwide quest for common understanding.


Above: Sir Barry discusses the goals of the academy with ETSU's delegation.
Below Kongzi Academy: view from the balcony.



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