On June 24, 2026, at 18:30, the 408th session of the "Discussion on Tao and Famous Scholars' Forum" was successfully held in Conference Room 601, Xingmin Building. The session featured Professor Hu Xingming from the Department of Philosophy, Nanjing University, as the keynote speaker, who delivered a lecture titled "The Responsibility of Intellectuals: An Issue in Responsibility Epistemology." Professor Niu Wenjun from the School of Public Administration served as the moderator, and Dr. Hu Tianli, also from the School, acted as the discussant. Both undergraduate and graduate students of the School actively participated in the event.

Professor Hu Xingming has long been engaged in research on epistemology, with profound academic achievements and prolific teaching and research outputs. Professor Niu Wenjun briefly introduced Professor Hu's academic background and research areas, and extended a warm welcome and sincere gratitude to him.

Professor Hu Xingming began with the cognitive responsibility of intellectuals as his starting point, noting that the traditional view holds that intellectuals should pursue truth and expose lies in public life. Drawing on several typical cases, he thoroughly analyzed both the defenses and challenges to this view within the academic community. Finally, Professor Hu creatively proposed a new path to address these challenges—namely, that intellectuals should act as "ferrymen of understanding" and guardians of fair procedures, so as to promote mutual understanding and solidarity.

During the interactive session, students raised questions enthusiastically, and Professor Hu answered each one patiently. In her concluding remarks, Professor Niu Wenjun spoke highly of the lecture. She noted that Professor Hu's argumentation was substantive and logically rigorous, and that he presented the issue of intellectual responsibility in an accessible manner. The lecture was both profound and engaging, effectively broadening the theoretical horizons of the faculty and students, and was widely regarded as a high-level academic feast. The event concluded with warm applause.