Ceiling of Cave 7 of the Northern Xiangtangshan Grottoes, China. FROGBEAR Cluster 3.2, 2019.
New Sources and Perspectives on Asian Civilizations
亞洲文明研究的新資料與新視野
July 5–6, 2026
(Registration on July 4; departure on July 7)
Venue: Zijin’gang Campus, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| Abstracts | Panelists | Schedule | Reports |
This symposium is jointly sponsored by the Center for Buddhist Civilization Studies at Zhejiang University (School of History and Institute for Asian Civilizations) and the Glorisun Global Network for Buddhist Studies. It will be held on July 5–6, 2026. Scholars from around the world are warmly invited to submit proposals.
During the formative period of modern European scholarship, research on the history of Asian civilizations was largely developed within European intellectual frameworks. Sinology, for example, emerged as a branch of Oriental Studies and, alongside Classics, was situated within the broader domain of the Humanities. These institutional and conceptual structures reflected the scholarly priorities of the time and played a foundational role in introducing Asian texts, languages, and histories into modern academic discourse.
At the same time, the study of Asia was often organized through categories and theoretical paradigms shaped by European intellectual traditions. Asia frequently appeared within comparative frameworks in which Europe served as an implicit point of reference. While these approaches yielded substantial philological and historical achievements, they also tended to frame Asian civilizations through externally derived conceptual lenses.
In the decades surrounding the Second World War, as the United States assumed a leading role in global political, economic, and cultural affairs, the institutional landscape of Asian studies underwent significant transformation. The term “Oriental Studies” gradually fell out of use, and many institutions adopted new designations. In its place, Area Studies emerged as a dominant paradigm. Sinology evolved into “Chinese Studies,” which expanded beyond the earlier humanities-based focus to incorporate sociology, political science, religious studies, anthropology, and other disciplines. This shift broadened the scope of inquiry and encouraged interdisciplinary engagement, while also situating the study of Asia within new geopolitical and institutional contexts.
Today, we find ourselves at another important moment of transition in the study of Chinese and Asian civilizations. Rather than viewing this development as a rejection of earlier scholarship, it may be better understood as a further stage in the global evolution of the field. Increasingly, scholars are calling for approaches that incorporate perspectives grounded more fully in Asian intellectual traditions, historical experiences, and conceptual vocabularies. From the vantage point of global history, the contributions of Asian civilizations to human history are vast and multifaceted, yet they have not always been proportionately integrated into broader theoretical narratives. A deeper understanding of Chinese civilization, in particular, requires renewed engagement with the wider networks of Asian civilizations of which it has long been a part.
Such engagement calls for scholarship that moves across disciplinary boundaries—bringing together history, religious studies, archaeology, art history, and related fields—in order to foster cumulative and collaborative forms of knowledge. The aim is not to replace one framework with another, but to cultivate a more dialogical, plural, and globally grounded approach to civilizational history.
At a time when global interconnections are being reconfigured and regional dynamics are becoming increasingly prominent, new patterns of integration and interaction are reshaping cultural and intellectual landscapes. Just as earlier eras of globalization influenced the formation of academic paradigms, contemporary developments invite fresh reflection on Asia’s historical experiences of connectivity, exchange, and coexistence. The growing complexity of regional interactions within Asia further underscores the importance of sustained, historically informed scholarship.
To illuminate the distinctive characteristics and historical trajectories of Asian civilizations, as well as the mechanisms, experiences, and lessons of intercultural exchange, the symposium welcomes papers on topics including, but not limited to:
- Integrated studies of East Asian civilizations (China, Japan, and Korea)
- The Silk Road and studies of the Western Regions (overland networks)
- The Maritime Silk Road and studies of the East China Sea
- Buddhism and other religions within the broader framework of Asian civilizations
- Buddhism, Silk Road archaeology, and art
- Transregional and cross-cultural interactions among Asian civilizations
- New materials and new perspectives in the study of Asian civilizational history
We particularly encourage the use of newly available sources, innovative methodologies, and collaborative research models to explore emerging fields of inquiry. Interdisciplinary work integrating history, religion, art, archaeology, and related disciplines is especially welcome.
The organizing committee welcomes submissions on all topics related to the study of Asian civilizations. During the conference, accommodation and meals will be covered by the organizers. Subject to available funding, partial travel subsidies may be provided to participants in need. Selected papers will be published as a special section in the journal Studies in the History of Asian Civilizations. Authors will receive a publication honorarium upon submission of the revised final manuscript (no additional payment will be provided beyond the final publication fee).
Please submit a research proposal and curriculum vitae by April 15, 2026 to:
30702542@qq.com; FrogBear.Project@ubc.ca.
Scholars who can confidently complete a draft of the paper by mid-June 2026 and submit a final revised version by early October 2026 are warmly encouraged to apply.
