Professor Dong Youchen, a renowned Chinese scholar and translator specializing in Bengali literature (particularly the works of Rabindranath Tagore), a former professor at Beijing Foreign Studies University, and a former President of the International Association for Bangladesh Studies (IABS), delivered a special talk on the life, reception, and works of Rabindranath Tagore from his perspective both as a Chinese student and an eventual scholar at IEOL on 28 April 2026.

Accompanied by his occasional interpreter Liu Shen, Professor Dong Youchen traced the introduction and reception of Tagore’s works in China, particularly focusing on the earlier translated editions that were in turn translated into Chinese from English renditions. Professor Youchen elaborated further on his passionate fascination for Tagore and his literature, describing him as a “genuine, good man.” He proceeded to also talk about the things that had inspired him to learn Bengali and take up translative and biographical projects on Tagore, a consideration which he now intends to extend to Nazrul.

Professor Dong Youchen is a recipient of various awards from India and Bangladesh for his contributions in translating Bengali literary works in Chinese and towards promotion of academic study of Bengali in China. He was a Professor at the Centre for Asia Studies, Beijing Foreign Studies University, China; and the Vice Director of the Literature-History College of the Party School of Central Committee CP of China. At present he is holding the position of Professor Emeritus at the Party School of Central Committee CP of China. He has authored the Chinese biography of Rabindranath Tagore and has edited a six volume Chinese translation of Rabindranath Tagore’s poems. He is currently leading a 17 member team of translators engaged in translating the complete works of Tagore in Chinese in 24 volumes. (reference)