On October 19, a significant event unfolded in Beijing, as the Commercial Press and the Capital Library launched the fourth season of their lecture series titled “A Century of Academic Lineage: Masterpieces of Modern Chinese Scholarship.”

The inaugural lecture, themed “Wu Jingchao: A Pioneer in China’s Economic and Social Development,” was delivered by Dr. Lv Wenhao, an associate researcher at the Institute of Modern History under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Dr. Lv shared insights into the life of Mr. Wu Jingchao, highlighting his contributions across sociology, history, and literature, as well as his profound reflections on the pathways of China’s economic and social development.

Mr. Wu, who skillfully combined both Eastern and Western philosophies, was adept at merging the currents of intellectual thought with extensive practical experience. His foresight and constructive suggestions regarding urbanization and industrialization in China were particularly noteworthy. Grounded in China’s history, he examined the nation’s social landscape while keeping pace with global trends. Focusing on economic development, he emphasized agricultural mechanization and industrialization as key tools to navigate the complex relationship between ideals and realities, ultimately seeking a modernization path tailored for China.

Since its inception in 2012, the “A Century of Academic Lineage” lecture series has gained immense popularity, hosting three previous seasons with a total of 12 lectures. The series is well-regarded for its wealth of content and engaging presentations. It runs in conjunction with the publication of the “Modern Chinese Academic Masterpieces” series, which has released eight volumes containing 278 works to date. Following a strategy rooted in “the perspective of academic history” and “the concept of classic works,” this publication series aims to compile and assess a century of academic lineage, featuring seminal works across various disciplines that hold significant cultural and scholarly value. The Commercial Press endeavors to position this series as a pinnacle of Chinese academic publishing, complementing its renowned “Chinese Translations of World Academic Classics” collection, thereby showcasing the parity in quality and merit between Chinese scholarship and global academic contributions.

The fourth season of the lecture series will continue its successful format of “Renowned Scholars Discussing Classics.” The lectures will take place at the Capital Library every two weeks. Future sessions will spotlight esteemed speakers including Shifeng, honorary director of the Linguistics Institute at Nankai University, who will discuss “Zhao Yuanren: The Renaissance Man of the 20th Century”; Professor Wang Zhongjiang from Peking University, presenting on “Jin Yuelin: The Poetic Life of a Philosopher”; and Qian Wanyue, a professor at Beijing Language University and granddaughter of Qian Mu, who will speak on “Qian Mu: An Exponent of National Culture Amidst Times of Flux.”