2025 is the 60th Anniversary of SACU and so the aim of this year’s competition for senior school students is to encourage young people to explore the history of SACU through its digital archive database and other resources to produce a written essay or a piece of art. The competition is now open and welcomes entries from all senior school children and there are great prizes for the winners! Full details in the flyer here THEMES 1. How do you see the contribution of SACU and its significance to us today? SACU was founded by Dr. Joseph Needham in 1965 […]

Online Lecture Series Confucius lived over 2000 years ago, yet his influence remains very strong in China. During the Han dynasty, 'Confucianism' was adopted as the underlying ideology for imperial rule and family order. Throughout China’s history, Confucianism has been challenged, reinterpreted, and appropriated. From the 20th century, after a period of disfavour, politicians and educationalists in China are once again turning to Confucianism for guidance. In order to understand what Confucianism is, SACU is pleased that experts Dr Katherine Ngo and Dr Kelly Ngo, from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, will be running a series of seminars […]

Welcome to our online event celebrating A wise and noble friend of China! George Hogg’s nephew and biographer tells about his uncle who became a legendary hero in China as an inspirational educator and co-operative leader during the war-torn 1930s and 40s. Hogg’s legacy is being celebrated in China this year, being the 110th anniversary of his birth and the 80th anniversary of his tragic, all too early, death. Speaker: Mark Aylwin Thomas, nephew of George Aylwin Hogg (1915-1945) and author of Hogg’s definitive biography, Blades of Grass. The biography has now been translated into Mandarin and published in Beijing […]

Classical music in China has gone through a fascinating process of evolution which followed the shape of the society and its continuous changes. Despite its fascinating history, full of lessons for many the world over, large elements of this music are unknown to many in the Western world. In this session, Dr Ben Lunn will discuss the circumstances that influenced five particularly significant composers - Xian Xinghai, Jian'er Zhu, Tan Dun, Wenchen Qin, Sel Nkbayar - drawing out how they adapted to the changing world around them. SACU is delighted to host this talk by member Dr Ben Lunn, composer […]