On June 15, 2025, the Kaohsiung Public Library (KPL) welcomed Ursula Heise, a professor of literary studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), as a guest speaker for the library's “2025 City Lecture Series: International Speech.” With the theme “Multi-Species Justice and Narrative,” Professor Heise's speech explored the relationship between humans and nature and the correlation between narratives and ethics, expanding the audience's imagination for cultures in a future of sustainability. KPL organized the speech by joining hands with the “Collaborative Learning Practice” program of the National Sun Yat-sen University (NSYSU). English and Chinese consecutive interpreting was provided throughout the event.

Picture 1. KPL welcomed Ursula Heise, a professor of literary studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), as a guest speaker. With the theme “Multi-Species Justice and Narrative,” the speech explored the relationship between humans and nature and the correlation between narratives and ethics, expanding the audience's imagination for cultures in a future of sustainability. 

As one of the most influential scholars in contemporary environmental humanities, Professor Heise received the BBVA Foundation's Biophilia Award for Environmental Humanities in 2024, the highest award in environment and sustainable development worldwide. The Biophilia Award is on equal footing with the “Nobel Prize for the Environment,” acknowledged to brilliant scholars and practitioners with significant contributions to environmental preservation, a forward-looking mindset, and narratives. The award embodies Professor Heise's long-term efforts in promoting and expanding the impact of “multi-species justice,” “eco-cosmopolitanism,” and “cultural diplomatism.” Additionally, it cements her position as an indispensable voice in global environmental humanities studies.

Professor Heise has long been an avid observer of environmental ethics and narrative strategies under globalization. According to Professor Heise, mitigating contemporary ecological risks requires more than policies and technological advancements. Instead, the solutions can also be found in cultural narratives. Professor Heise proposed the concept of “eco-cosmopolitanism,” which is committed to breaking through the centralized Western perspective, building connections between global experiences and cultural memory, and integrating artistic, technological, and humanistic perspectives. These efforts will kickstart and guide building awareness and taking initiatives to promote the lives and rights of all species on Earth.

The speech was moderated by Professor Hsin-Ya Huang, previously the International Affairs Office Director of what was formerly known as the Ministry of Technology. In addition to Professor Heise's speech, the event featured a panel discussion between Professor Heise and Professor I-Ping Liang from the National Taiwan Normal University, whom the organizers invited to be a panelist. Both experts delved into an in-depth discussion of film, novel, and media narratives, asking questions such as: “Who has the right to narrate their stories? Who can become the main subject of justice?” Their discussions guided audiences to reflect on the relationship between humans and other living species as co-existing entities.

Picture 2. The speech was moderated by Professor Hsin-Ya Huang (second from the left), previously the International Affairs Office Director of what was formerly known as the Ministry of Technology. Professor I-Ping Liang (first from the right) from the National Taiwan Normal University was also invited to be a panelist at the event. While discussing environmental issues, Professor Liang shared her thoughts on Professor Heise's speech. Professor Liang further enriched discussions on multi-species justice and narrative by adding her observations on the topic from a cross-cultural perspective.

Libraries are a city's critical platform to foster shared cultures. We are responsible for cultivating citizens’ international perspective and vision for the future,” said KPL Director Chin-Yang Lee. “Multi-species justice has become an indispensable contemporary key topic. Likewise, KPL has become the first library in Taiwan to initiate surveys on carbon footprint and emissions. We aim to realize ‘transformative justice’ and ‘net zero emissions.’ We use reading as our starting point, connecting it to sustainable environmental and societal visions. This speech features an international speaker and representatives from a local university and cultural institution. The event expands our role beyond that of a platform for shared knowledge. Instead, we have become providers of opportunities for our citizens to connect with the world. Cross-cultural and cross-species exchange enables us to explore knowledge in diverse fields. We have also become bridges linking sustainable practice and the humanities, initiating necessary conversations and actions.” 

Picture 3. Members of the audience actively participated in the Q&A session. Among them was a young man, a reader who made inquiries and proposed his observations on the local ecology in Taiwan. His participation demonstrated the younger generation's care and attention toward issues related to the environment and multi-species coexistence.

From environmental policies to the realities of daily lives, from the pages of novels to the preservation of habitats, all stories can potentially change the world. KPL hopes that Professor Heise's speech can encourage citizens to face the challenges of the present age with creativity and imagination while still considering ethical morals, enabling knowledge to connect the city with the world while bridging lives with justice.

Picture 4. Professor Heise excitedly answered the audience's question on the local environment. Surprised and moved by Taiwanese readers’ careful attentiveness to the local ecology, she thoroughly approved of the audience's active participation in sustainability issues on both global and local levels.

Picture 5. In correlation with the speech's theme on ecology and sustainability, KPL Director Chin-Yang Lee (first from the right) presented Professor Heise (first from the left) and the panelist with gifts in the form of environmental-friendly products, such as foldable multi-purpose boxes made from repurposed marine debris and eco-friendly tote bags. These gifts demonstrate KPL's efforts to support multi-species coexistence.