Continuing the tradition: Notre Dame and Peking University host annual academic workshop
This summer, the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Peking University (PKU) and Notre Dame Beijing jointly hosted the philosophy workshop "Mapping the Invisible: Physics, Philosophy, and Scientific Progress" at the Lee Shau Kee Humanities, PKU. The event attracted 51 in-person and 100 online participants from universities across mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, the US, and the UK; high school students from Beijing No.4 high school international campus; and professionals from companies like ByteDance, etc.
This year, Professor Nicolas Teh (University of Notre Dame), Professor Shan Gao (Shanxi University), and Professor Yafeng Shan (Hong Kong University of Science and Technology) delivered keynote presentations. Professor Chunling Yan (PKU) organized the workshop and moderated the presentations and on-site discussion; Professor Xiaoqian Hu (The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen) moderated the panel discussion.
Professor Nicolas Teh presented "Representation and Symmetry in Physics." Starting from the concept of representation in the philosophy of art, the report explored analogies between the formal analysis of paintings and mathematics in physics, particularly concerning the role of symmetry principles in physical theories, to reconstruct the nature of representation in science.
Professor Shan Gao presented a report titled "The Aharonov-Bohm Effect Explained: Reality of Gauge Potentials and Its Implications." Using the Aharonov-Bohm (AB) effect and its generalizations as case studies, Prof. Gao critiqued gauge-invariant explanations of such effects, arguing for the fundamental reality of gauge potentials at the quantum level. He further examined whether specific gauges might possess physical significance.
Professor Yafeng Shan presented a report titled "What is scientific progress?" Prof. Shan proposed and defended a new functional approach to scientific progress, emphasizing the dual importance of defining problems and solving them, with usefulness as the pursued goal of scientific advancement.
Following the three keynote presentations, an on-site Q&A session was held. Attendees engaged in enthusiastic discussions with the speakers on research issues in the philosophy of physics and general philosophy of science. Discussions ranged from detailed explorations of technical aspects and research prospects within the reports to broader reflections and future outlooks on the general fields involved.
A panel discussion followed, where the three speakers engaged in an in-depth dialogue on methods for entering research, the integration of philosophy with specific sciences, and the nature of truth in science.
This workshop was a continuation of the academic philosophy of science workshop that Notre Dame Beijing and the Department of Philosophy at Peking University launched in 2024. Several Notre Dame and Peking University students who participated in the Notre Dame–Peking University Joint Beijing Summer Philosophy of Science Program 2025 also attended the workshop in person.
Peking University commented on this workshop: “This ND-PKU annual academic workshop not only provides a valuable platform for exchange among faculty and scholars between Notre Dame and universities in China, but also enriches the learning experience of Notre Dame and PKU students, bringing new vitality to ongoing explorations of the philosophy of physics and scientific progress.” Executive Director of Notre Dame Beijing Jingyu Wang congratulated the new ND-PKU Annual Academic Workshop on Philosophy of Science in 2025, saying, “This annual event deepens the global partnership relations between Notre Dame and Peking University. We are looking forward to the next episode in summer 2026.”
Originally published by at beijing.nd.edu on September 17, 2025.