On the afternoon of June 8, the inauguration ceremony for the “Shijiazhuang Institute of Culture and Arts Research” and the “Shijiazhuang Institute of Regional Music Research” was held at our university. Mr. Li Yongjie, Chairman of the Shijiazhuang Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and Vice President Feng Baoqiang jointly unveiled the plaques for the two institutes.

As the convenor unit of the Municipal Colleges and Universities Literature and Arts Liaison Committee, our university proactively aligns with local cultural development needs. By leveraging its disciplinary strengths in literature, history, musicology, and Xibaipo cultural studies, and integrating resources across colleges, it has formally established two specialized research institutes. This initiative marks a further solid step forward in serving the cultural development of the provincial capital and building a leading regional culture research hub.

At the inaugural ceremony, Vice President Feng Baoqiang delivered a speech on behalf of the university. He stated that the establishment of the two institutes is a key initiative in vigorously implementing the university’s “1396” development strategy, advancing the “Cultural SJZU” initiative, and supporting the cultural development of the provincial capital. The institutes will adhere to the principle of “rooted in Shijiazhuang, studying Shijiazhuang, and serving Shijiazhuang,” striving to become important think tanks and platforms for practical application in unearthing the city’s cultural heritage, preserving its revolutionary legacy, and protecting traditional music.

Chairman Li Yongjie stated that Shijiazhuang University has taken the initiative to fulfill its role as convenor of the Municipal Colleges and Universities Literature and Arts Liaison Committee by being the first to establish specialized research institutes, fully demonstrating the responsibility and mission of higher education institutions in regional cultural preservation and innovation. The Federation will strongly support the institutes’ development and jointly promote the prosperity of Shijiazhuang’s literary and arts scene.

The Shijiazhuang Institute of Culture and Arts Research will focus on systematically unearthing and contemporarily reinterpreting the city’s cultural connotations, aiming to build recognizable cultural icons. The Shijiazhuang Institute of Regional Music Research will center on protecting, documenting, preserving, and innovatively studying local music resources, including red music culture, intangible cultural heritage music, and folk music traditions. Both institutes are cross‑college entities, integrating core faculty from the School of Literature and History, the School of Music, and the Xibaipo Cultural Research Center, and are supported by provincial‑level platforms such as the “Intangible Cultural Heritage Research and Promotion Base.” Through activities such as establishing student arts troupes, conducting fieldwork, and hosting academic forums, they will facilitate the application of research outcomes in cultural education and social services.

(Reported by: School of Literature and History, School of Music; Written by: Wang Yao)