Past NYU Shanghai Reads Events 2024-2025
Past NYU Shanghai Reads Events 2024-2025
Fall 2024
AI and the Future of Reading: An Interdisciplinary Talk
The panel discussion, AI and the Future of Reading, brought together faculty members from Interactive Media Arts, Economics, History, and EAP to explore how Artificial Intelligence is transforming our interaction with digital storytelling, historical research, academic and leisure reading.
Panel members illuminated the shortcomings of AI reading summaries and what’s lost when we sacrifice personal interpretation and the reading process for efficiency. In response, they proposed ways to shift from using AI to outsource critical cognitive reading skills to using AI to augment and expand our reading experience and comprehension.
Panelists sparked a lively conversation on the irreplaceable value of human engagement with reading, shared the worthwhileness of cultivating pleasure in things that are effortful, and posed intriguing questions about what counts as reading.
The event was well-received, with an engaging exchange of ideas that left 73 attendees with new perspectives on AI's role in the future of reading.
Yungu Farm Visit: Permaculture & Community
This past weekend, twenty one members of the NYU Shanghai community traveled to Yungu Farm, a permaculture community in the rural Jinshan District of Shanghai.
Over the course of the day, participants toured the farm and learned about permaculture design practices, the individuals who make up Yungu Farm’s diverse community, and the ways that Yungu Farm promotes symbiotic growth that nurtures both people and the land.
Through group discussions, participants explored the themes of gratitude and reciprocity in Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants. Participants put these practices into action through farmwork, a mindful eating meditation, and a shared vegetarian lunch.
This event was a collaboration between NYUSH Reads and the Office for Community-Engaged Learning that aimed to bring people into nature, foster community, and share wisdom about how we can practice gratitude and reciprocity with the world around us.
Swing, Sway, Sweetgrass
This past week, NYU Shanghai’s urban rooftop garden was the setting for collaboration and dance inspired by Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants, bringing together 15 participants. Co-hosted by NYU Shanghai Reads and the NYU Shanghai Dance Program, the event offered a unique opportunity for community members to engage in movement and nature within the beautiful space curated by the NYU Shanghai Garden Committee. Led by Yuting Zhao, Assistant Arts Professor of Dance, participants enjoyed a series of improv games inspired by Braiding Sweetgrass, fostering connections with both the plant life in the rooftop garden and each other. The interactive and relaxed atmosphere encouraged attendees to explore creative dance, regardless of prior experience, and make new friends along the way. The event highlighted the synergy between dance, movement, and literature, inviting participants to (re)connect with nature, their peers, and their own bodies. Selected chapters from Braiding Sweetgrass were recommended to deepen participants’ experience. The gathering celebrated creativity, community, and the natural world.
Crafting Connection Through Scent and Reflection
During a creative workshop organized by the Literature Club and NYU Shanghai Reads, students were able to take a break from midterm stress to craft custom-scented sachets. Inspired by Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants, the event offered an opportunity to blend nature with reflection, as participants used a variety of dried Chinese herbs and flowers to make traditional-style sachets. The selected herbs were all deeply rooted in Chinese culture similar to that of traditional herbs and their uses found in Braiding Sweetgrass and other cultures. These herbs are often seen in traditional medicine representing healing, and our connection with nature.
While they crafted their sachets, the participants engaged in discussions around the themes of mindfulness, gift giving/receiving, the impact of plants and nature in their day-to-day lives, and conversations that were inspired by the Indigenous perspective in Braiding Sweetgrass. The workshop highlighted the themes of appreciation for the gifts provided by nature featured in Braiding Sweetgrass, in a practical hands-on approach using the selected Chinese herbs.
The event was a relaxing experience that enabled more than a dozen attendees to come together and explore the intersection of nature, culture, and creativity. With the presence of calming music playing in the background, they were not only able to connect with fellow peers but also left with a beautifully scented sachet— heading to tackle the rest of their midterms with a souvenir-lasting calm.
While they crafted their sachets, the participants engaged in discussions around the themes of mindfulness, gift giving/receiving, the impact of plants and nature in their day-to-day lives, and conversations that were inspired by the Indigenous perspective in Braiding Sweetgrass. The workshop highlighted the themes of appreciation for the gifts provided by nature featured in Braiding Sweetgrass, in a practical hands-on approach using the selected Chinese herbs.
The event was a relaxing experience that enabled more than a dozen attendees to come together and explore the intersection of nature, culture, and creativity. With the presence of calming music playing in the background, they were not only able to connect with fellow peers but also left with a beautifully scented sachet— heading to tackle the rest of their midterms with a souvenir-lasting calm.