Nobel laureate lectures at Northwest University

Professor Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezzio, the winner of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Literature and a famous French writer, delivered the eighth lecture of the Nobel Prize Forum of Northwest University on the evening of March 18 in Xi’an, Shaanxi province in Northwest China. His topic was "The Nonlinear Development of Literature and Art".

Professor Le Clezzio (fifth from the left) and Northwest University teachers and students at the Forum [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Nobel Prize Forum includes a short course in which, from March 19 to 22, Professor Le Clezzio will work with teachers and students every evening.

The forum was chaired by Chang Jiang, member of the standing committee of the Party Committee and vice president of Northwest University. Lu Jianrong, member of the standing committee of the Party Committee and director of the Party (School) Office, and Nicolas Wable, president of the Xi'an French Federation also attended.

Focusing on the non-linearity of literature and art, Professor Le Clezzio pointed out that art transcends linear time and that non-linearity expresses breaking points which are not arranged in a time-based order.

Taking the painter Yang Yonglin's works as an example, the professor pointed out that the combination of traditional Chinese landscape and skyscrapers in his paintings showed the concept of traversing different times, which was a non-linear attempt.

“Through literature, human beings can travel through time and space, which is the expression of artistic consensus. Therefore, I advocate that when learning art or language, we should choose different methods, not only through the simultaneity of cross-section to explore, but also through the diachronic of vertical section to consider,” Professor Le Clezzio said.

The teachers and students were able to feel the academic demeanor and personal charm of the Nobel Prize winner at close range, and absorb his thoughts and scientific spirit during the course.

Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio is one of the representative writers of the French New Fable School in the latter half of the 20th century and one of the leading figures in modern French literature.

Northwest University has set up the Nobel Prize Forum since 2017. Eight Nobel Prize winners have so far been invited to give lectures, two of whom have jointly established Nobel Prize studios in the school.