Prof. Masashi HANEDA, Executive Vice President of the University of Tokyo (UT), paid a visit to PKU’s Institute of Area Studies (PKUIAS) on September 13, 2018. Prof. Qian Chengdan, PKUIAS director, met with Prof. HANEDA in No.66 Yannanyuan.

Prof. Qian introduced the main tasks of PKUIAS as well as PKU’s advantages in conducting area studies. He pointed out that many subjects and research areas at PKU involve studies of different regions and countries. Since these resources are scattered in different departments of the university, PKUIAS was established to provide a platform for integrating these interdisciplinary resources in order to improve research outcomes and foster talent.

PKUIAS has already begun its student cultivation work. Within six to seven years from now, the institute will have fostered more than 100 students, who will not only have a solid academic foundation in area studies but will also be top-ranking experts specialized in a certain area.

Prof. Qian opined that the University of Tokyo, which has made great achievements in area studies, possessed vast experience from which PKUIAS can learn in the future. He also expressed his hope that UT and PKU scholars would establish academic ties and that UT scholars would come to PKU to attend academic events or participate in academic exchanges. He said Prof. HANEDA’s visit to PKUIAS marks the first step for the two sides to establish long-term cooperation.

The two professors also discussed some academic questions. Prof. HANEDA said that the University of Tokyo started conducting area studies more than 30 years ago, and they put much energy in East Asia Studies. He pointed out that area studies in the US usually excludes the US itself as a subject; in contrast, China’s approach to area studies on East Asia includes China itself, which is a good thing and will benefit the future development of area studies.

He added that Japanese studies are more or less affected by the US; in the future, he hopes they can learn more from PKU.

Prof. Takahiro NAKAJIMA of the Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia, who was also present, added that during a visit to PKU one and a half years ago, he and professors at PKU had a discussion about area studies. From the discussion, he realized that the level of area studies needed to be further improved. Different from area studies in the US, China and Japan should think more about how to conduct area studies from the viewpoint of East Asia. He said PKUIAS is an ideal place to conduct such kind of studies, and he hopes more cooperation will happen between the two sides.