On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France, Hu Yu, Professor of the School of Journalism and Communication at Tsinghua University and Dean of the Institute of Cultural and Creative Development, led a delegation of students on a visit to France from June 16 to 23. The group engaged with local enterprises, universities, and associations, fostering in-depth exchanges with industry experts, senior scholars, and young students to enhance communication and cultural exchanges.

During their stay in Paris, the delegation visited Havas and Sciences Po, and held inspiring conversations with Rémy Aron, a renowned French painter and president of the French Artists Association, and Joël Bellassen, a distinguished sinologist and expert in Chinese characters education.

"Let’s Make a Meaningful Difference Together!"

Panel Talks with HAVAS

Upon entering the HAVAS Paris, the slogan "Let’s make a meaningful difference together!" greeted the delegation. The hallway was adorned with creative advertisements designed by HAVAS for the 2024 Paris Olympics, radiating vitality and charm.

The delegation held discussions with Fabien Aufrechter, Vice President of Web 3 at Vivendi and Mayor of Verneuil-sur-Seine; Daniel Saltsman, Partner at Havas Paris and Lecturer at Sciences Po Paris; Wanchen Chung, Head of Havas China Desk; and several Consultants.

Mr. Aufrechter provided a comprehensive overview of Havas, detailing its history, corporate characteristics, and business scope. Founded in Paris in 1835, Havas is one of the world’s largest global communications groups, with more than 23,000 people in over 100 countries sharing one single mission: to make a meaningful difference to brands, businesses, and people.

Professor Hu Yu expressed gratitude for the warm reception and shared insights on new trends in the development of China’s creative industries and new opportunities for French enterprises in China. He emphasized the evolving consumption patterns among young Chinese consumers, and suggested that multinational companies should draw from China's rich cultural heritage to guide product design and development, while French companies could leverage their cultural influence to find communication content, expand market opportunities, and promote exchanges between Chinese and French youth.

During the discussion, participants explored current corporate communication practices in China and France, covering topics such as public opinion, media relations, brand image building, and government relations. Both sides expressed hope to establish a cooperative relationship between Tsinghua’s School of Journalism and Communication and HAVAS Group in talent training and business exchanges for long-term collaboration.

"Looking forward to establishing long-term cooperation"

Visits to Sciences Po

At Sciences Po, Alexandre Mariani, International Affairs Manager for China and South East Asia, and Etienne Cazin, Director of the Centre for Asia, Pacific, Africa and the Middle East of the International Affairs Office, guided the Tsinghua delegation around the campus.

In discussions, Mariani and Cazin detailed the school's history, curriculum, talent training model, and international cooperation projects. Both sides expressed a strong desire to deepen cooperation, strengthen research collaboration, and implement more student exchange programs to enhance educational and cultural ties.

"I have been to China 100 times" "I have been to China 500 times"

Dialogue with French Artists and Sinologists

Walking on the streets of Paris, the cafes seen everywhere have witnessed the inspiration of numerous modern artists, writers, thinkers and more. Tsinghua delegation held in-depth discussions along the Seine River with Rémy Aron, a prominent French painting master and president of the French Artists Association, along with Aurélie Ferrand, Rémy Aron’s wife Natalie Miel, and assistant Mr. Liu Zhongjun.

Rémy Aron shared his deep affection for China. He has long been dedicated to fostering artistic and cultural exchanges between China and France, believing in the transformative potential of these interactions. Aron also discussed the relationship between humans and nature, the potential for China-France cultural exchanges, and concerns about the technicalization and commercialization of art education.

"I could go to China more than ten times a year. I may have been to China 100 times so far!"

In another meeting near the Musée d'Orsay, the delegation met Prof. Joël Bellassen, a well-known French sinologist and Chinese language education expert. Prof. Bellassen, who has visited China over 500 times, shared his experiences and insights on Chinese language teaching, emphasizing the unique dualism of teaching Chinese characters and words. He stressed the need for specialized teaching methods to convey the ideographic nature of Chinese characters.

Prof. Hu presented Mr. Bellassen with his book highlighting the mutual attraction between Chinese and French cultures and the common spiritual characteristics of humanism. He called for a new humanism based on true rationality, peace, and tolerance to foster a new culture and spirit for human development.