Beyond Chinese Studies

Where Chinese History Sits—and Why This Matters

Abstract

This essay examines the location of Chinese history in Europe from organizational and disciplinary perspectives and analyzes how this positioning has shaped the field’s operation and reach. It addresses the question of where Chinese history is situated in Europe through a historical analysis of the past forty years (1985–2025) and, on this basis, develops recommendations for its future positioning for researchers and students in Sinology, Chinese Studies, China Studies, and history departments, as well as across the humanities and social sciences more broadly. Starting from the organizational and disciplinary configurations of European academic landscapes, the essay explains how these arrangements have influenced historical research on Sinophone societies and the teaching of Chinese history at European universities. It begins with a critical appraisal of the current placement of Chinese history—encompassing both pre-nineteenth-century and modern periods—across different departmental and programmatic settings. These are theorized as two models: place- or language-based positioning within area studies programmes, and period- or process-based placement within history departments. The essay evaluates the core claims associated with each model, including assertions of interdisciplinarity, transregional scope, and critical theory in area studies, and of historical methodology, global connectivity, and cross-regional comparison in history departments. It concludes by reflecting on how these forms of organizational and disciplinary positioning affect the academic visibility and public relevance of Chinese history. 

本文從建制與學科的雙重視角，探討中國歷史在歐洲學界的定位，系統梳理1985至2025年間其高校院系歸屬與學科專業設置的演變脈絡。重點剖析區域研究模式與歷史學系模式各自的理論取向與學術訴求，並反思此種定位如何形塑中國史的研究實踐、教學形態、學術可見度及公共意義。在此基礎上，文章就未來數十年中國歷史在歐洲人文社會科學中的發展方向提出建言。