Conference report by President Teresita Ang-See

The ISSCO regional conference was successfully concluded last Dec. 6, 2006. Thanks to Karen Harris and her efficient staff and students, the conference went without a hitch. The University of Pretoria gave valuable support that ensured a productive and viable conference.

As expected, we had a very good turn out of papers about the ethnic Chinese in Africa . It opened our eyes and enhanced our understanding of this region, which has largely been neglected in the past. TASee, ISSCO president, gave the welcome address (attached).

Dr Wang Gungwu, set the tone of the conference with his opening address on the topic “Dimensions of Heritage, Pedagogy and Power.” He took off from the inauguration of the Confucius Institute in Nairobi and in the National Technological University of Singapore to discuss current research and scholarship and different ways of teaching Chinese all over the world and moved on to the heritage of values, the deeply rooted basic culture brought by the Chinese all over the world from their hometowns to every part of the world wherever they lived; and finally to the projection of China as a “soft power.” The Confucius Institutes founded all over the world is one way of using Chinese philosophy, knowledge and values to soften the image of a “Chinese Power” in contrast with the image of the United States as a super power. Can the Chinese overseas and their descendants help soften this Chinese image through the projection of the hard work, frugality, success, determination and triumph over the toughest of times, is a provocative idea that started the participants off to two and a half days of plenary speakers and paper presentors.

The opening address was followed by the first plenary session where Li Anshan, Emmanuel Ma Mung and Darryl Accone gave the participants a valuable overview and introduction to the Chinese in Africa . There were 53 presentors in the two and a half day sessions aside from Wang Gungwu’s opening address.

The conference was spiced up with an open air enjoyable drum and dance performance and a half day trip through Pretoria . Karen Harris got a gold card (top level accredited tour guide) to volunteer to guide for us. Thanks to the tour participants who passed the hat and gave her a tip which she divided among herself, the driver and a donation to the museum. Most of the participants went on a pre- or post-conference tour.

Li Anshan announced the Beijing conference and gave out flyers to the participants.

ISSCO 2006 papers:  wrap up by Peter Li

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