In the afternoon of June 9, 2023, Professor Zhang Yan from the School of Arts and Media of Beijing Normal University was invited to give an academic lecture entitled Oral History and Shao Studies to the School of Arts of Nanjing Normal University. The lecture was hosted by President Zhu Yimiao and held in Lecture hall, No. 117, Middle Building, Suiyuan Campus, Nanjing Normal University. More than 100 doctoral and master students from the School of Arts, Nanjing Normal University attended the lecture.

Zhang Yan is currently a professor and doctoral supervisor of the School of Arts and Media of Beijing Normal University, the Executive Director of the Asian and Chinese Film Research Center of Beijing Normal University, the Secretary General of the Teaching Steering Committee for Drama and Film and Television Studies in Higher Education Institutions, the Vice President of the China Aizi Film and Television Education Promotion Association, the Expert Review Committee of the Beijing Film Bureau, the Expert Review Committee of the CCTV Television Drama Center, and the specially invited expert of the China Film Museum Distinguished professors from multiple universities. Professor Zhang Yan has high attainments in both Hong Kong and Taiwan film studies and Asian film studies.

At the beginning of the lecture, Professor Zhang Yan shared with her classmates her origins in Hong Kong film research and introduced what oral history is. Professor Zhang Yan explained from three aspects: "What is oral history", "Requirements for oral history interviewers/researchers", and "What does oral history do". She believes that oral history needs to be professional and normative, and oral history should be a kind of professional history, in order to ultimately delve into theory through interviews and turn individual memory banks into human memory banks.

Secondly, Professor Zhang Yan elaborated on the origin of the "Oral History" project. She introduced her works "Interview with New Taiwanese Directors in the Post Cape Era" and "Reflections: Made in Hong Kong" to her classmates. She believed that after a long period of decline, Taiwanese films underwent a transformation in the entire film ecosystem after "Cape 7" in 2008. Director Wei Desheng's creative process played a good demonstration role for future Taiwanese films; As the only film company that has run through China's century long film history, Shaw Film Company is not only a leader, but also a witness. Professor Zhang summarized the century long development process of Shaw Film Company to his classmates, which is the origin of researching and creating Shaw Film Company's oral history.

Finally, Professor Zhang Yan introduced to the students the practical achievements and shortcomings obtained in the oral history project. Professor Zhang Yan played the Shao Film Company documentary "The Legend of Shao's Light and Shadow" created by her and the production team to the students, so that the students could see the wave of light and cloud in the Shao Film Company and learn about the development experience of many famous Hong Kong filmmakers such as Zhang Aijia, Siu Yam-yam, Tang Jia, etc. She believes that as an interviewer of oral history, one should seize the opportunity to approach history and touch the vivid history through on-site records and interviews.

The lecture came to a successful conclusion under Professor Zhang's step-by-step explanation, and Dean Zhu Yimiao summarized the lecture. Dean Zhu pointed out that Professor Zhang Yan presents his academic achievements, which have been deeply cultivated for many years, to everyone. Students can try to study history from a different perspective, bring these to their own learning, and reflect on their research direction and field. I hope everyone can think deeply, understand seriously, draw strength and wisdom from Professor Zhang's lecture, and reap rewards.