[Abstract from the website of the World Association of Abacus and Mental Arithmetic] On the morning of December 4, 2020, the Chinese Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Association (hereinafter referred to as CAMAA) and the Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Institute of Chinese Academy of Fiscal Sciences (hereinafter referred to as CAFS) jointly organized the “1st Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Development High-level Forum”.

At the opening ceremony, Liu Jianhua (Chairwoman of WAAMA and CAMAA), Zhang Hongli (Former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Finance of the People’s Republic of China and President of the 8th Council of CAMAA), Liu Shangxi (Member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and President of CAFS), and Qin Rongsheng (Member of the National Committee of the CPPCC and President of Beijing National Accounting Institute) co-launched the opening lever. Liu Jianhua, Liu Shangxi, Qin Rongsheng and Tang Xiaowei (via video), Academician of Zhejiang University, successively delivered a speech.

Liu Jianhua said, on the same date as today in 2013, the 8th Standing Committee of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage officially included Chinese Abacus Skill project in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This is a joyous event that deserves high-five celebrations by people of the whole country and even Chinese all over the world. We should concentrate our efforts to deeply comprehend the significance of the development of abacus and mental arithmetic; work with each other to promote the popularization of abacus mental arithmetic; and forge ahead and strive to foster the healthy and sustainable development of abacus and mental arithmetic, so as to make new and greater contributions to the development of science and technology in the world and the progress of human civilization.

Liu Shangxi pointed out, as an important part of the traditional Chinese mathematical system, abacus is the only “active-state” inheritance of the system. Although abacus as a computing tool has been replaced by computers, the unique mathematical logic and methods it contains and the alternative knowledge system cast from it are not outdated. Instead, it has been further developed, and new knowledge and methods have been created. Abacus and mental arithmetic is one of them, expanding the abacus knowledge system.

Liu Shangxi stressed that, “abacus and mental arithmetic” is a great discovery and creation of China, showing great potential and development prospects. By transferring and internalizing the “physical process” of dialing abacus with hands into the “virtual scenario” in human brain, it forms an innovative method and form that is derived from abacus but different from any other calculation. This transition and transformation from the “hand” as the center to the “brain” as the center has allowed the replacement of “physical computing” with “virtual computing”, which broke through the physical limitations of computing and created a supercomputing power different from that of a computer. This supercomputing power is not an extension of the brain, but a development of the brain potential.

Liu Shangxi said, abacus and mental arithmetic not only challenges and creates the limits and peaks of brain computing, but also integrates calculations and many factors empowered by it into the brain, thus forming a unique "virtual thinking" scenario and an operational logic without process that gets rid of the process logic of “physical thinking”. It enriches the connotation of human thinking, and is an important discovery and breakthrough in the thinking logic paradigm. Once the limitless potential contained in human beings is tapped, it will enable human civilization to achieve a huge leap beyond the time and space limitations of the physical world.

Liu Shangxi emphasized, in view of the important value of abacus and mental arithmetic, he put forward the “Proposal on Incorporating ‘Another Knowledge System’ into the National Basic Education” at this year’s CPPCC meeting. According to the proposal, “it’s strongly recommended to rethink on the value of abacus and mental arithmetic and incorporate it intonational basic education curriculum as soon as possible”, so that the scientific value, cultural value and modern educational value of traditional abacus can be fully demonstrated in the new era and serve the great rejuvenation of Chinese nation.

Qin Rongsheng said, Chinese abacus is one of the excellent traditional cultures of our Chinese nation. After years of unremitting efforts by the abacus community and all walks of life, the abacus is known and recognized by more and more friends around the world, demonstrating Chinese wisdom to the whole world. He hopes that, with joint efforts of all people, the abacus and mental arithmetic cause could be further developed to a higher level.

Tang Xiaowei pointed out in his video speech that abacus and mental arithmetic provides us with a new research method, through which we can learn how humans manipulate visual representations to process numbers. Moreover, abacus and mental arithmetic is also a research topic related to education, so the research on abacus and mental arithmetic has an important enlightenment for education and teaching.

The Forum was presided over by Xing Li, Vice President of CAFS. A total of over 130 participants attended the meeting, including the leaders and guests: Cheng Beiping (WAAMA Secretary-General and Executive Vice Chairman of CAMAA), Vice Chairmen Wang Yili, Wang Weida, Ma Minxia, Guo Shirong and Lu Ping, Secretary-General Zhao Xiangyi, Deputy Secretary-Generals Wen Zhifang, Ni Xiaojing, Liu Qinying, Mi Huizhen, Fu Jie, Chen Guozhong and Wang Shaochen, and Huang Wenkun (Executive President of the Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Institute, Chinese Academy of Fiscal Sciences); members of the Standing Council of CAMAA, representatives of various member units and experimental zones as well as experts and scholars.

At the forum themed on “Chinese Abacus-Another Knowledge System”, the experts and scholars conducted in-depth discussions and exchanges on this topic. Li Wenlin, Researcher at the Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science (AMSS) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), gave a keynote speech entitled “The Pearl of Chinese Mathematics Culture--Ancient Chinese Mathematical Algorithm System and Abacus”. Starting from the two main lines of mathematical development, he discussed the constituent elements and development process of Chinese ancient algorithm system, and further explored the uniqueness of abacus in Chinese classical algorithm system. Guo Shirong, Professor at Inner Mongolia Normal University, gave a speech entitled “Several Topics on the Protection, Inheritance and Development of Abacus”. He put forward some suggestive research topics on the academic research of abacus and mental arithmetic from the perspective of protection, inheritance and development of abacus (abacus and mental arithmetic). Chen Feiyan, Professor of Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Physics Department, Zhejiang University, gave a speech entitled “The Impact of Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Training on Cognitive Function”, and discussed the migration effect and brain mechanism of abacus and mental arithmetic training. Jiang Zhifeng, Associate Researcher of National Institute of Education Sciences, gave a speech entitled “Preliminary Thinking on Deepening the Development of Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Education”, and expounded his views and understanding on the development of abacus and mental arithmetic education based on field research. Professor Zhou Xinlin of State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning at Beijing Normal University gave a report on “Chinese Abacus as Another System of Knowledge: Non-Symbolic Arithmetic”. He shared his understanding of “another knowledge system” from the perspectives of mathematical cognition, mathematical brain and mathematical thinking, and analyzed the necessity and feasibility of the integration of abacus and school education. Liu Qinying, Researcher at Chinese Academy of Fiscal Sciences, gave a keynote speech entitled “From the Perspective of the Knowledge System-Scientific Nature of Chinese Abacus”, and discussed the scientific nature of abacus and the simplification effect of abacus and mental arithmetic on mathematics enlightenment and basic education from the perspective of knowledge system.

Guo Shuchun (Professor of Institute for History of Natural Sciences (IHNS), Chinese Academy of Sciences), Bi Hongyan (Researcher at the Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences), Professor Feng Lisheng (President of the Institute for History of Science and Technology & Ancient Texts, Tsinghua University), Professor Liang Peipeng (School of Psychology, Capital Normal University),  Wen Zhifang (Director of Chinese Academy of Fiscal Sciences Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Research Center ) and other experts and scholars made precise comments on these keynote speeches, and expressed their opinions and insights.

It’s reported that, in order to create a national high-profile forum on the development of abacus and mental arithmetic, and realize creative transformation and innovative development of Chinese abacus culture, the CAMAA and Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Institute, Chinese Academy of Fiscal Sciences jointly organized the “Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Development High-level Forum.” 

This forum included the section of keynote speeches and expert comments, and adopted both online and offline modes for synchronous broadcasting to the whole society.  The guest speakers and commentators conducted in-depth discussions and exchanges on the principles and scientific nature of abacus, the development of abacus and mental arithmetic in brain science and education as well as the inheritance and protection of abacus culture.  Through collision of different ideas and insights, the participants gained a deeper understanding of “another knowledge system” of abacus and the research emphasis and direction of abacus and mental arithmetic.