Reported by Maya Peak, Class of 2026
During the Ciencia y Caridad, Humanities Fall Conference held in Barcelona by DKU’s Humanities Research Center, multiple student presentations were held. Projects ranged from Art and Humanities to Data and Policy, tying in themes of the intersections of research and charity, stressing the humanity in humanities. Below are the summaries of the presentations that took place on Saturday, the eighth, along with photos from Shuyuan Zhou’s presentation.
My Great Grandmother, My Grand Aunt, My Grandmother, My Mother, and I: A Family Album, presented by Shuyuan Zhou
Shuyuan Zhou presented, My Great Grandmother, My Grand Aunt, My Grandmother, My Mother, and I: A Family Album, a series which collected, questioned, and answered on the intergenerational female experience. Through images of her and her family along with some of the storytelling ability of objects in the collection, Zhou shared to us the beauty and suffering in femininity across time.
The Feminine Fabulation: Chinese Women’s Taking In and Spitting Out Bitterness presented by Meixuan Wang
Through her presentation, The Feminine Fabulation: Chinese Women’s Taking In and Spitting Out Bitterness, Meixuan Wang explores feminine endurance, and what it means to be constantly resilient under patriarchal pressure. Through fifth-generation Chinese films Jiu-er in Red Sorghum, Jiazhen in To Live, and Cuiqiao in Yellow Earth, Wang has investigated the empowerment of these women to be able to endure bitterness as well as to grow and heal from bitterness, as well as the limitations of this growth.
DKU AR Campus Prototype presented by Ruiqi Chen, Qingyang He, Weiran Li and YuTong Ren
Ruiqi Chen, Qingyang He, Weiran Li and YuTong Ren presented DKU AR Campus Prototype using one of their AR prototypes, an avatar that moved and spoke along with the presentation. The presentation discussed how AR technology can prompt creative and social movement and how greater research can expand how technology intersects with greater communication.
Smell the Beauty: Reading Olfactory Perception in Dream of the Red Chamber presented by Weiran Li
Weiran Li explores the senses within her presentation, Smell the Beauty: Reading Olfactory Perception in Dream of the Red Chamber. Specifically, Li seeks out the meaning in the manner of which smells are used within the eighteenth-century novel, Dream of the Red Chamber, as an under-inquired matter of study, particularly where smells and gender issues intersect to bring greater meaning to the text.
An Evaluation of Privacy Policy used in the Digital Contact Tracing Apps for COVID-19 presented by Erin Grieg and Reika Shimomura
Erin Grieg and Reika Shimomura in their presentation, An Evaluation of Privacy Policy used in the Digital Contact Tracing Apps for COVID-19 investigated the various digital tracing methods from multiple nations to track the spread of COVID-19 to come to inclusion on their implications on privacy policy. Through setting a criteria for privacy Grieg and Shimomura were able to navigate a standard of privacy within the various platforms.
Governing Data in Contemporary China: Laws, Digital Capacity, and the Formation of New Governmental Agencies presented by Yutong Shi
Yutong Shi gave a presentation on Governing Data in Contemporary China: Laws, Digital Capacity, and the Formation of New Governmental Agencies. Since data is becoming an increasingly valuable resource, Shi’s research reflects a need for appropriate legislation in accordance with a burgeoning digital economy.
DAO, NFT, PFP, and Crypto Philanthropy: Advantages and Challenges of Blockchain-based Web 3.0 in Empowering Gender Equality presented by Xinran Lai
Xinran Lai delivered a presentation crossing digital technology and gender empowerment in DAO, NFT, PFP, and Crypto Philanthropy: Advantages and Challenges of Blockchain-based Web 3.0 in Empowering Gender Equality. Lai brings to light the aspects of the Web 3.0 and crypto-philanthropy and how they affect both women through women-led projects and a standard of philanthropy. Furthermore, Lai discussed the future philanthropic potential of blockchain technology.
Green Finance in the United States presented by Haley Williams
Haley Williams gave a presentation on Green Finance in the United States and spoke on the methods of promoting green finance, as well as the beneficial aspects of green finance. Williams advocates through the presentation for investing in the Green Bond Market to bring a more sustainable future, both environmentally and financially.
