Symposium

Sam Houston State University, USA

Organizer: Dr. Enrique Mallen, Professor in Sam Houston State University

This symposium examined effective global integrated pedagogical approaches and cross-cultural understanding through cross-cutting communication channels. It emphasized that an integrated approach can promote deeper learning by developing cognitive, interpersonal, and intrapersonal competencies alongside material knowledge. Participants explored cultural similarities and differences by examining how different cultural groups perceive and respond to life events through various digital media. The discussions highlighted the importance of moving beyond simple cultural generalizations, encouraging interest in cultural diversity, empathy, and communication across diverse contexts. The symposium also focused on pedagogical strategies that enable students to share discoveries, compare perspectives, and strengthen cross-cutting skills. Through integrated learning activities and coherent instructional design, participants discussed ways to improve learning outcomes while fostering intercultural understanding, collaboration, and meaningful engagement in diverse educational environments.

Zhejiang University, China

Organizer: Dr. Sheng Xiaoming, Professor in Zhejiang University

This symposium aimed to foster interdisciplinary collaboration among law, psychology, philosophy, sociology, and both modern and traditional Chinese medicine, with the goal of promoting theoretical integration and practical innovation. Emphasis was placed on exploring applicable pathways for embedding humanistic values into healthcare, such as constructing interdisciplinary curricula, establishing evaluation frameworks for ethical and psychological dimensions of care, and improving legal and institutional safeguards that ensure patient rights and professional accountability. The symposium also sought to reinterpret and modernize the humanistic wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine within contemporary ethical and legal contexts. Ultimately, it aspired to advance the creation of institutionalized and sustainable models of humanistic practice, enabling a healthcare system that harmonizes medical expertise with empathy, justice, and human dignity.

Hangzhou Normal University, China

Organizer: Dr. Xiaohui Hu, Professor at Nanjing Normal University, Hangzhou International Urban Research Center (HIURC), Hangzhou Normal University

This symposium aimed to address the resilience of old and new industrial urban regions, which remain locked in or struggled with obsolete economic structures, making them highly susceptible to global supply chain disruptions, market uncertainties, and institutional-political change impacts. The core problem is a lack of integrated strategies that simultaneously foster technological innovation and build systemic resilience. While innovation policies often prioritize growth in isolated tech sectors, and resilience planning focuses on physical infrastructure, this bifurcated approach fails to generate transformative, inclusive regional change. Our goal is to bridge this gap by developing a holistic framework for resilience-oriented regional transformation. We investigated how recent advances — such as the application of AI and IoT for smart infrastructure, the rise of the circular and bio-economy, and novel multi-stakeholder governance models like living labs—can be synergistically leveraged.