At the invitation of Bridgeport University of the State of Connecticut, Loyola Marymount University of the California, and New York Asian Culture Center, Dr. Yu Qiangjun, faculty of Hunan Women’s University, gave lectures about the Taoist thoughts as well as the Chinese history and culture in the United States from Feb.12^th to Feb.27^th, 2016.

From Feb.14^th to Feb.19^th, Dr. Yu lectured about the philosophy of Lao-tzu (philosopher in the Spring and Autumn Period, founder of Taoism) and Inner Elixir of Taoism for the graduate students of Oriental Culture and Health Center at Bridgeport University, four hours a day. The Center, which is the only one that offers the graduate program of traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncturology in the USA, recruits most of the undergraduate students majoring in western medicine. During this week, the American students listened carefully, discussed attentively in class, and submitted course papers. A large number of students thought that the law of life of Taoism intensified their understanding of the principles of the traditional Chinese medicine, and the digestion of the naturopathy.

At 7:00pm on the evening of Feb.16^th, Dr. Yu lectured about Chinese Internal Alchemy and the Ethics of Dao De Jing: How Tradition Meets Modernity for the faculty and students in the packed Central Lecture Hall of Walson Library at Bridgeport University. The corridor was full of students interested in the Taoist thoughts very much. They raised a lot of questions in the end of the lecture which extended for another half an hour. The students would keep asking many questions if it was not interrupted by Dr. Steve Jackowicz, a famous sinologist in the USA.

On Feb.24^th, Dr. Yu lectured about the Inner Elixir of Taoism, Life and Health in Loyola Marymount University of Los Angels, California. Many American students said that: “Dr. Yu is very fluent in English and the lecture is easy to understand; although we don’t have a deep understanding of the Chinese culture, we get to know Lao-tzu through the lecture.” Some held the view that: “In the past, it seems that we read the Taoist works with the prejudice of the western culture and now we have recognized the true features of the Taoist thoughts.” Others supported the opinion that: “The advantages of the oriental culture have been ignored by the western civilization and we should learn to think in the oriental way. We really hope that we would have more opportunities to attend more lectures given by the local Chinese scholars.” Several well-known Chinese scholars who were paying academic visit to various universities in Los Angels including Prof. Wen Haiming also attended the lecture and the discussion.

Dr. Yu said: “During my visit in the USA, I experienced the profound influence of the Chinese history and culture toward the world. Giving lecture about Chinese culture including Taoist philosophy in the classroom of the American universities for the audience who lives in the most advanced country in technology and education, I had a strong sense of national pride that I never experienced in any classroom in China. I have also recognized that the scholars of our generation should take the responsibility to promote and spread the excellent traditional Chinese culture to the whole world. ”

Dr. Yu added that: “Due to the signature of HWU in the teaching material and on the notice board, HWU becomes more popular among the American students who browsed the English website of our university.”

Mr. Yu Qiangjun, doctor of philosophy whose field of specification is Daoism and the Taoist culture, was graduated at the Institute of Philosophy of Chinese Academy of Social Science. His supervisor is Professor Hu Fuchen, a famous scholar in China. He is now the faculty of the Women/ Gender Research and Women’s Education Center of Hunan Women's University. (Written by Ms. Liu Renfeng from the Women/ Gender Research and Women’s Education Center and translated by Ms. Long Min from the International Affairs Office)