NEWS
A major new reference work, Dunhuang Studies: Collected Materials and Research on Scholarly History, edited by Prof. Liu Jinbao (Qiu Shi Distinguished Professor, Zhejiang University), has been published by Gansu Education Publishing House.This collection systematically organizes primary sources, monographs, and scholars' notes on the development of Dunhuang studies over the past century. It is structured into three sections—archives and chronologies, thematic materials, and scholarly research—spanning 8 volumes, 13 books, and 5 million characters. The work fills a significant gap in the field by providing a comprehensive and systematic documentation of the discipline's history, research traditions, and major achievements.The compilation, which began in 2017, was carried out by a dedicated editorial team over nearly a decade. Prof. Liu Jinbao is a leading scholar in Dunhuang and Silk Road studies, serving as Director of the Center for Central Asian and Silk Road Civilizations and Vice President of the Chinese Dunhuang and Turfan Studies Association.
Four scholarly works from the School of History have been awarded at the 7th Zhejiang University Philosophy and Social Sciences Outstanding Works Prize. A total of 22 works were selected for this award.First Prize (Monograph/Compilation Award):A Chronicle of Modern Chinese National Studies (12 Volumes), edited by Professors Sang Bing and Guan Xiaohong. This 12-volume work is a key achievement of the major National Social Science Fund project. It systematically chronicles the evolution of modern Chinese national studies from 1902 to 1952.Looking Back at Helan: A Restudy of the Civilization of the Western Xia Dynasty by Professor Li Huarui. This work offers a systematic re-evaluation of Western Xia civilization, proposing that it represented a reconstruction of Chinese civilization from the Han and Tang dynasties.Second Prize (Monograph/Compilation Award):Zhejiang and the Cultural Exchanges between China and Korea during the Ming and Qing Dynasties by Professor Yang Yulei. Drawing on primary sources from the Joseon Dynasty, this book examines the connections between Zhejiang and the Korean Peninsula.Youth Achievement Award:Les soyeux lyonnais et leur expansion en Chine (Milieu du XIXe siècle - début du XXe siècle) by Dr. Shi Xiaoxuan. From a global history perspective and drawing on French archives, this work traces the expansion of Lyon's silk merchants in China.
A delegation from the School of History, led by Prof. Chen Hongmin, visited Queen's University Belfast on March 27, 2026, for a joint academic symposium on East-West Encounters in Archival Sources.During the visit, Prof. Chen and Prof. Zhao Xiaohong met with representatives from Queen's School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics, including Head of School Prof. James Davis. They reviewed progress since signing a memorandum of cooperation and discussed future collaboration in four key areas: faculty exchanges, student programs, joint research, and co-hosted conferences.The delegation also explored Queen's special collections, with a focus on the Sir Robert Hart papers. The library holds significant archives related to Hart, who served as Inspector General of the Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs in the late Qing period.In the afternoon symposium, Prof. Chen delivered an invited lecture on Chiang Kai-shek's Perception of Britain (1920–1949): A Study Centered on the Chiang Kai-shek Diaries. Other presenters included Prof. Zhao Xiaohong, Dr. Aglaia De Angeli, and Queen's PhD students.The visit and academic exchange were successfully concluded, with both sides expressing optimism for continued partnership.
On June 30, the results of the 10th Ministry of Education Outstanding Achievement Award in Humanities and Social Sciences were officially announced. Three works from the School of History received awards:Second Prize (Monograph/Paper Award):A General History of France, edited by Professor Shen Jian and his team. This six-volume work, published by Jiangsu People's Publishing House in November 2024, fills research gaps in the field of French history studies in China and represents a significant contribution from a Chinese scholarly perspective.Third Prize (Monograph/Paper Award):The Evolution of Song-Type State History by Professor Li Huarui. Published by The Commercial Press in September 2022, this book systematically examines the political, economic, military, and cultural aspects of the Song Dynasty, centered on the concept of the Song-type state.Popular Reading Award:Sui-Tang (Three Volumes) by Professor Sun Yinggang. Published by Shanghai Ancient Books Publishing House in October 2023, this work offers a multidimensional narrative of the Sui-Tang period, highlighting its cosmopolitan, Buddhist, and aristocratic characteristics.
