From October 9 to 14, the series of academic events for the 3rd Humboldt Day International Forum, titled “Humboldt's Cosmos: Ethics and Aesthetics”, was held in Tenglong Building at the School of Foreign Studies. Co-organized by the School of Foreign Studies and the Humboldt Interdisciplinary Research Center of Hunan Normal University, the forum featured academic lectures and keynote reports dedicated to commemorating the legacy of Alexander von Humboldt (1769–1859), the renowned German naturalist, travel writer, and philosopher.

On October 10, the forum officially commenced at Tenglong Building. Prof. Yang Zhen, Member of the University Party Committee and Vice President of Hunan Normal University, joined more than 100 scholars, experts, faculty, and students from home and abroad for the opening ceremony. Prof. Zeng Yanyu, Dean of the School of Foreign Studies, presided over the event.

In his opening address, Vice President Yang Zhen extended a warm welcome and heartfelt gratitude to the distinguished leaders and experts in attendance. He emphasized that the Humboldt Interdisciplinary Research Center is built upon the university's “Double First-Class” discipline in Foreign Languages and Literatures—a discipline recognized by the Ministry of Education. The center’s achievements, he noted, reflect a strong commitment to serving national development strategies and contributing to the construction of China’s academic discourse system. By promoting Humboldt studies, the center aims to engage in a global academic network, raising the international profile of Hunan Normal University and Chinese scholars while enhancing the university's capacity for international exchange and cooperation. Prof. Yang encouraged Chinese scholars to contribute to the development of China's academic discourse from a Chinese perspective and to make China’s voice heard worldwide. He also invited international scholars to deepen their engagement with China, fostering mutual learning among civilizations and contributing the wisdom and strength of our generation.

Prof. Zhang Longxi, President of the International Comparative Literature Association (2016–2019) and Distinguished “Xiaoxiang Scholar” Professor at Hunan Normal University, highlighted Humboldt's emphasis on observation in interdisciplinary scientific research, which resonated with the 18th-century concept of organicism. He noted that European intellectual circles, especially in France, demonstrated considerable understanding and interest in Chinese thought, culture, and institutions during that period—a clear source of inspiration for the Enlightenment. Prof. Zhang expressed confidence that Humboldt’s spirit offers valuable insights for global connectivity in the 21st century and that the participation of numerous scholars would ensure the forum's success.

Prof. Ottmar Ette, Director of the Humboldt Interdisciplinary Research Center, Distinguished “Xiaoxiang Scholar,” and Member of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, expressed gratitude to the School of Foreign Studies and his colleagues for their dedicated efforts. He noted that the global Humboldt research network—comprising centers in Berlin, Havana, Changsha, and a newly established center in Kazakhstan—continues to expand, with a growing number of Chinese scholars engaging in Humboldt studies. Prof. Ette also announced that the 4th Humboldt Day will be held in Chongqing in 2026 and extended a warm invitation to all participants.

Following the opening ceremony, a two-day keynote session featured presentations by 13 scholars. Prof. Li Xuetao, Dean of the School of History at Beijing Foreign Studies University, delivered the first speech. Using Humboldt's Cosmos as a core reference, he explored the intrinsic unity of ethics and aesthetics in Humboldt's view of nature. Through the concept of “intercultural responsibility aesthetics,” he underscored the necessity and possibility of integrating Western and Chinese intellectual traditions in the face of global ecological and cultural challenges.

Subsequent speakers—including Prof. Stefanie Buchenau, Prof. Feng Yalin, Prof. Alfred Hornung, Prof. Li Daxue, Prof. Marcus Hernig, Prof. Feng Gequn, Prof. Ottmar Ette, Prof. Liu Yongqiang, Prof. Ruan Wei, Dr. Luo Fang, Dr. Long Qiyu, and Dr. Zhang Bingqi—shared their research findings on a wide range of topics, such as:

- Humboldt and world order

- Humboldt's view of nature

- Confucian ethics and Humboldtian aesthetics

- Humboldt and modernity

- Humboldt studies in Chinese academia

- Humboldt and Ferdinand von Richthofen

- Humboldtian writing approaches

- Humboldt's “mobile aesthetics”

- The figure of the “wanderer” in Humboldt’s travel writings

- Humboldt's “natural tableau”

- Humboldt and the cognitive revolution

The Humboldt Day series also included three thematic academic lectures. On October 9, Prof. Li Xuetao delivered a lecture titled “The Contribution of the Outsider: The Cultural Context and Hermeneutic Issues of ‘Only the Chinese Understand China.’” On the evenings of October 11 and 14, Prof. Feng Yalin from Sichuan International Studies University and Prof. Stephanie Buchenau from Université Sorbonne Nouvelle presented lectures titled “Kafka's ‘Gesture Man’ and Writing as Gesture—A Study of The Trial” and “Kant on the Earth” respectively.

The Humboldt Day events not only provided a platform for academic exchange among scholars in Humboldt studies and German literature but also contributed to deepening Sino-German and China-Europe partnerships. Furthermore, they supported the international development of Hunan Normal University's “Double First-Class” disciplines and paved the way for enhanced Sino-German teaching and research collaboration.