With the opening of the research center at Tianjin Normal University, a new addition has been made to the small but eager collection of academic centers whose starting point is Henrik Ibsen in institutions of higher education across China. Its peers include prestigious institutions like the Center for Ibsen Studies at Nanjing University, and the Nordic Literature Research Institute at Fudan University. The chair of the institute at Fudan University, Professor Su Jian, attended the opening ceremony. Also attending were representatives from the Norwegian embassy in Beijing.
The opening ceremony included a variety of speeches from professors from Tianjin Normal University and Fudan University, artistic contributions from the students including a recital of Ibsen’s poetry, and a lecture by the director for the Center for Ibsen Studies in Oslo, Professor Frode Helland.