Sinology
Societies and InstitutesLearned societies, founded by private intitiative to promote learning, may either precede or replace regular academic programs in the same country. They blend typologically into institutes, which are more often governmental, and can be foci of academic work done elsewhere, or quasi-departmental structures in themselves. Some (not included here) have a policy function, or an exclusively ideological mandate. The earliest such body was probably the Ji-sya enterprise in Chi, founded in the wake of the military defeat of 0313, with a mandate to investigate the variables determining success or failure in international competition. Societies and institutes sometimes issue journals or hold conferences, but they are also important in themselves, as giving a certain shape to Sinology in their vicinity. The range of types reflects the degree of political organization in the various nations, and the existence of the category reflects the difficulty of introducing a new subject into an established curriculum. Here are a few examples which may suggest some trends in national and international Sinology, over the last few centuries.
- American Oriental Society (1842)
- Association for Asian Studies
- Austrian Academy of Sciences
- European Association for Chinese Studies (1976)
- Far Eastern Association (precursor of Association for Asian Studies)
- Istituto Universitario Orientale (Naples, 1732)
- Oriental Institute (Prague, 1922)
- Royal Asiatic Society (1823)
- Society for the Study of Early China
- Tôhô Gakkai (1947)
11 June 2004 / Contact The Project / Exit to Sinology Page
