Restoring historical contexts and passing on academic heritage. This November, the Qiushi Legacy: Oral History Echoes – Zhejiang University Humanities Oral History Support Program, spearheaded by the Zhejiang University Academy of Social Sciences, officially began. Today, the Echoes of Thought: Media Oral Archives project, successfully proposed and initiated by our college, held its launch ceremony in the college’s studio.
The project aims to systematically collect and preserve oral history materials through in-depth interviews and audiovisual recordings, focusing on disciplines such as aesthetics, journalism, and communication studies. By interviewing academic experts and professors, the project will document their intellectual explorations, academic contributions, teaching experiences, reflections on the times, and personal growth journeys. The ultimate goal is to create a multi-dimensional, vivid academic memory repository that allows future scholars to listen to the wisdom of their predecessors and experience the ebb and flow of academic thought.
The project was initiated by Wang Qingwen, Party Secretary of the college, with Zhao Yu, the Vice Dean, responsible for its planning and coordination. The execution team includes Zhang Yong, Jin Xingzheng, and Tian Yuan, researchers under the “Hundred Talents Program,” as well as Yan Yuqian, Distinguished Associate Researcher, and Qiu Huang, Experimental Instructor, along with several students. Together, they will strive to complete this significant oral history project over the next two years.
Since its inception, the team has been diligently collecting and organizing relevant materials, thoroughly compiling academic achievements, teaching resources, and other essential documents of the interviewees. They have developed a detailed interview plan, assigned specific responsibilities, and formed professional teams for interview hosting, audiovisual production, and data integration.
To ensure the smooth progress of the project, the college has provided comprehensive support in terms of equipment and personnel. Renowned scholars in the humanities and social sciences have also been invited as academic advisors to guide the interview content and ensure its quality.
Over the next two years, the project will progress through multiple phases, including interviews, data integration, research analysis, and final outcome presentation. The ultimate goal is to establish a comprehensive media oral archives database, along with academic publications, research reports, documentaries, and multimedia exhibits.
These outcomes will offer rich resources and references for academic research in the media field, provide engaging case studies and learning materials for media students, enhance the influence of media studies as a discipline, and contribute to cultural heritage and development.
The successful launch of this project marks a new chapter in documenting and preserving the intellectual history of media studies, providing a foundation for academic innovation and cultural continuity.