An international symposium titled Heritage in Motion: Tradition, Innovation and the Contemporary World was held at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) in Suzhou from Aug 28 to 29.

Co-hosted by Beijing International Studies University (BISU), XJTLU and the University of Lancashire (UCLan), the event brought together scholars and practitioners for in-depth discussions on cultural-heritage preservation, digital innovation in heritage studies and cross-civilizational dialogue.

Zheng Chengjun, BISU's vice-president, delivers a speech at the event.

In his speech, BISU Vice-President Zheng Chengjun recalled that, with BISU's support, the United Kingdom's first international research platform dedicated to Chinese cultural heritage — the Research Center for China's Heritage Studies — had been established at UCLan last year, where the inaugural symposium had been held.

Zheng highlighted BISU's distinctive educational strengths and expressed the hope that the gathering would serve as a platform for in-depth discussion of tradition and contemporary innovation, and of local heritage in dialogue with global perspectives. He added that BISU expected the symposium to advance university-level cooperation, joint research, talent training and international exchange with its partners.

Ruan Zhoulin, vice-president of XJTLU, noted in his address that, over the two decades since its founding, XJTLU has remained committed to cross-disciplinary integration and to international education and innovative research. He observed that heritage is rooted in history while remaining alive in the present, and that it continues to renew itself through transmission and cross-boundary engagement.

He expressed the hope that participants would engage in in-depth discussions of how digitization can support the communication of heritage, of cross-cultural exchange, and of how new technologies can empower the preservation of intangible cultural heritage, exploring innovative paradigms and cross-disciplinary pathways for the field.

The symposium adopted a hybrid online-and-onsite format, bringing together experts, scholars and industry practitioners from home and abroad. Sessions covered a wide range of topics — including architectural and industrial heritage, traditional Chinese medicine heritage, and AI-driven digital creation — alongside immersive experiences of intangible cultural heritage.

The gathering further deepened academic cooperation and humanities exchange between Chinese and international universities, offering fresh momentum for the living transmission and innovative development of cultural heritage, and supporting the sustainable development of heritage research.

Looking ahead, BISU will continue to work with its partners to advance cultural-heritage research through joint academic platforms, talent training and international exchange.