The School of Philosophy at ZJU, in collaboration with the Department of Philosophy and Moral Sciences at Ghent University and the Department of Information and Computing Sciences at Utrecht University, hosted an online summer school for undergraduates to enrich their research skills and to broaden their academic horizons. The summer school consisted of two modules that ran from July 3rd to July 7th and from July 31st to August 4th respectively.
The first module, titled “The Subject of Psychoanalysis is the Subject of Science,” was taught by Professor Gertrudis Van de Vijver from Ghent University. This module explored the topics of phenomenology and postmodern philosophy, and examined the works of philosophers such as Kant, Husserl, and Lacan. The module also discussed the complex relationship between scientific objectivity and psychoanalysis.
The second module, “Logic of Norms,” was led by Professors John-Jules Meyer and Mehdi Dastani from Utrecht University. This module introduced the students to deontic logic, a formal system for reasoning about normative concepts such as obligations and permissions. The module also showed how deontic logic can be applied to various domains, especially computer science.
The students were very engaged in the course, as they planned their studies according to the course content, took detailed notes during the lectures, and joined lively discussions with the instructors and their classmates. After the course, the majority of students submitted well-written assignments that reflected their understanding and insights. The assignments not only showed the remarkable progress the students made in a short time, but also highlighted their research abilities and academic qualities. The professors provided constructive feedback to help the students improve their academic skills. Module convenor’s devotion and student’s participation greatly contribute to the successful outcome of this summer school.
This online summer school is also the 2nd SoP ZJU Brand Summer School, a series of summer programs that started in 2022. The aim of this series is to offer undergraduates in philosophy at ZJU the chance to learn from leading scholars and researchers from prestigious academic institutions around the world. Last year we collaborated with the Department of Philosophy at University at University of Jena, Underwood International College at Yonsei University, Department of Philosophy at University of Kansas, Department of Indian Philosophy and Buddhist Studies at the university of Tokyo. We will continue to improve this project, cooperate with other top academic institutions, and provide more high-quality summer courses for students at Zhejiang University.
