Academia Sinica yesterday began a three-day conference in Taipei to mark the centenary of the May Fourth Movement, with Academia Sinica president James Liao (廖俊智) saying that academic research must be independent and free of the yoke of political ideology.
The movement was triggered by a massive student protest in Beijing on May 4, 1919, against the then-Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government’s inaction in the face of intrusive foreign powers, which led to young people pursuing democracy and science.
In his opening remarks, Liao highlighted the founding of Academia Sinica as inheriting the movement’s spirit of developing science, liberty, democracy and creativity.
Photo: Chien Hui-ju, Taipei Times
The institution was established in China in 1928 when the then-KMT government was based there. It relocated to Taiwan in 1949 following its defeat in the Chinese Civil War.
Academics should adhere to professionalism and independence even when dealing with highly politicized scientific issues, Liao said.
The movement can be described as a moral revolution, given that it led to enlightenment in different aspects of life, such as changing views about marriage with reduced emphasis on parental wishes, Academia Sinica vice president Huang Chin-shing (黃進興) said.
Academic Chen Yung-fa (陳永發) delivered the keynote speech, titled: “How Mao Zedong (毛澤東) abducted the history of the May Fourth Movement.”
Mao misled followers into believing that liberalism was something to shake off in their ideological struggles, Chen said, adding that Mao’s discourses caused the movement to veer toward Marxism.
The conference, which closes tomorrow, has 16 sessions, with more than 60 research papers to be presented, while two roundtables on the final day are to wrap up reflections on and the legacy of the movement, the institution said.
Across the Taiwan Strait, Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) highlighted nationalism and political loyalty in a speech in celebration of the movement in Beijing on Tuesday.
The movement led by progressive young people was a patriotic revolution to defend people’s dignity, spread new ideas and disseminate Marxist ideas, Xinhua news agency cited Xi as saying.
Young Chinese people in the new era should continue to love their country, follow the instructions of Chinese Community Party and work to realize the dream of reviving the great Chinese people, Xi said.
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