On 25^th May 2018, to commemorate the 20^th Anniversary of Good Friday Agreement the Irish Studies Center of Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) invited Irish documentary-maker Maurice Fitzpatrick to talk on his latest documentary In the Name of Peace: John Hume in America at the School of English and International Studies (SEIS), BFSU. Graduated from Trinity College, Maurice Fitzpatrick has produced The Boys of St. Columb’s and other works for BBC. In this documentary, Maurice Fitzpatrick and his team interviewed Gerry Adams, John Hume and several former presidents of the United States. The documentary showed how John Hume, a significant leader of Social Democratic and Labour Party in Northern Ireland, promoted Northern Irish peace process. The theme of this documentary is Hume’s Creative Conception, which is to reject violence and to create opportunities for conflicting parties to sit down and talk on the future of Northern Ireland.

Wang Zhanpeng, Director of both British and Irish studies centers presided over the event. Faculties and students from the two centers participated in it.

        In Q&A Maurice Fitzpatrick shared his intention of making this film, stressing the important role of Irish Americans in the Northern Ireland peace process and expressed his view on Brexit and other issues.

That evening, faculties and students from the two Centers went to Ullens Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing 798 Art Zone to watch the documentary In the Name of Peace: John Hume in America. Irish ambassador to China, Minister of British Embassy in China and Director of Northern Ireland Representative Office in China were present at the activity. They all made comments on the documentary and talked about the situation in Northern Ireland.