On the afternoon of June 5, 2026, the press conference for the inaugural Southeast University "Tang Xianzu and Shakespeare Meeting" Campus International Drama Festival was held in Chunhui Hall on the Sipailou Campus. This press conference coincided with the 120th anniversary of Southeast University's art education and the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the School of Arts, as well as the 410th anniversary of the deaths of Tang Xianzu and Shakespeare. It marked the official launch of the university's important initiative to promote the integration of Chinese and Western cultures and deepen aesthetic education practices under the backdrop of the "Year of Internationalization."

Guests attending included Lu Jun, Honorary President of the Jiangsu Kunqu Opera Research Association and former Vice Chairman of the Jiangsu Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference; Xu Ning, Deputy Director of the Publicity Department of the Jiangsu Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference; Ke Jun, Honorary Chairman of the Jiangsu Provincial Dramatists Association and President of the Jiangsu Kunqu Opera Research Association; Xiao Yajun, Secretary of the Kunqu Opera Theatre of Jiangsu Performing Arts Group; and Yan Qi, Chairman of Jiangsu Meiqi Cultural Tourism Development Group Co., Ltd. Representatives from Southeast University, including Gu Yonghong, Standing Committee Member of the Party Committee and Minister of the Publicity Department, and Pu Zhengning, Dean of the School of Overseas Education, also participated. The press conference was hosted by Zhao Tianwei, Secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Arts of Southeast University. Reporters from more than ten mainstream media outlets, including People's Daily, China News Service, Xinhua Daily, Jiangsu Broadcasting Corporation, and Nanjing Broadcasting Corporation, provided on-site coverage.

At the press conference, Gu Yonghong, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Committee and Minister of the Publicity Department of Southeast University, delivered a speech on behalf of the university. He pointed out that 2026 marks the 410th anniversary of the deaths of Tang Xianzu and Shakespeare, coinciding with the 120th anniversary of Southeast University's arts education and its internationalization theme year. The university's collaboration with the Jiangsu Provincial School Aesthetic Education Association and the Jiangsu Provincial Kunqu Opera Research Association to release the drama festival plan and launch campus repertoire recruitment is a key measure to build upon its century-long heritage of arts education and implement the "Famous Strategy." Gu Yonghong emphasized that Southeast University adheres to the motto of "Striving for Perfection" and has held opera art activities on campus for over 20 consecutive years. In recent years, its hosting of the Jiangsu Provincial CPPCC's "Opera Approaches Universities" series of activities has become a brand, accumulating a rich theatrical atmosphere. The campus youth version of *The Peony Pavilion*, produced under the National Arts Fund project, has been performed in Taiwan, building a bridge of friendship between young people across the Taiwan Stra

This year's drama festival, themed "The Play Is Happening – The Birth of a Play," revolves around three main themes: collaborating with professional troupes to create a campus version of "The Meeting of Tang and Shakespeare: A Dream of Handan," promoting Kunqu Opera as an intangible cultural heritage in universities; leveraging its international reach to organize bilingual creation and rehearsal by Chinese and international students, building a platform for dialogue between Chinese and Western civilizations; and opening role recruitment to universities across the province, allowing students to experience the entire process of a play's creation firsthand. Gu Yonghong stated that the university will continue to develop the "The Meeting of Tang and Shakespeare" campus international drama festival brand, coordinating the development of scientific and technological innovation and aesthetic education, enriching the connotation of a first-class university with artistic practices that blend Chinese and Western elements, and continuously enhancing Southeast University's reputation for humanistic education.