European sinologists play a vital role in shaping global China studies. Their works bridge cultures, connect histories, and enrich understanding of Chinese civilisation.
At the Second World Conference on China Studies in Shanghai, organisers released 54 recommended works on China studies globally. The list highlights the growing global interest in understanding China’s history, culture, and ideas.
Among them, European scholars play a major role. Their research bridges the East and the West, offering new perspectives on China’s past and present. From the Netherlands, Hans Van de Ven, from the University of Cambridge, wrote Breaking with the Past, a study on how China’s maritime customs service shaped early modern globalisation. Wolfgang Kubin from Germany explores Chinese Literature in the 20th Century, while Dagmar Schäfer examines science and craft in The Crafting of 10,000 Things.
French sinologists also make strong contributions. Thierry Meynard revisits the first Western translation of The Analects. Jacques Gernet and Léon Vandermeersch reinterpreted Chinese philosophy for modern readers. From the Netherlands, Barend ter Haar studied religion and popular belief. Nicolas Standaert from Belgium traced how Chinese imperial gazettes reached Europe.
Together, these scholars show how European sinology has become a dynamic global conversation. Their works bridge cultures and deepen the world’s understanding of China.
Selected Titles by European Sinologists
Breaking with the Past: The Maritime Customs Service and the Global Origins of Modernity in China — Hans Van de Ven (Netherlands)
Die chinesische Literatur im 20. Jahrhundert — Wolfgang Kubin (Germany)
The Crafting of 10,000 Things: Knowledge and Technology in Seventeenth Century China — Dagmar Schäfer (Germany)
The Jesuit Reading of Confucius: The First Complete Translation of the Lunya (1687) Published in the West — Thierry Meynard (France)
La raison des choses: Essai sur la Philosophie de Wang Fuzhi,1619-1692 — Jacques Gernet (France)
Les deux raisons de la pensée chinoise: divination et idéographie — Léon Vandermeersch (France)
Guan Yu: The Religious Afterlife of a Failed Hero — Barend ter Haar (Netherlands)
The Chinese Gazette in European Sources: Joining the Global Public in the Early and Mid-Qing Dynasty — Nicolas Standaert (Belgium)
Additional reporting by CNS, oversea.huanqiu.com.
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