A Symposium on The Olympics! From Athens to Beijing
A Symposium with a focus on the summer 2008 Beijing Olympics was held in the Language House at St. Mary's Hall, University of Maryland on April 9, 2008. Scholars from the United States and China gave presentations and shared their insights with UMD faculty and students. The symposium went from 11am to 1:30pm. Dr. Hugh Lee of Dept. of Classics centered his topic on the evolution of Olympics from ancient Greece to modern Olympic games. Dr. Joseph Scholten, Associate Director of the Office of International Programs, gave his talk on Let the Games Begin: Other International Competitions in the Ancient Mediterranean World, providing the audience with information and knowledge on ancient sport events besides the well-known Olympics. The third speaker, Prof. Yuanpu Jin from Humanistic Olympics Studies Center of Renmin University, China, gave a detailed introduction on the Beijing Olympics from a humanistic perspective. The event attracted 45 faculty and students who actively participated in the discussions after the presentations by the speakers.