EACS Newsletter European Association for No. 40, June Chinese2008 Studies Association européenne EACS Addresses and Newsletter...... d’études chinoises2 Letter of the President...... 3 Notes from the Treasurer and the Editor ...... 3 First Conference of Junior Sinologues...... 5 New Resource: VerreTaal – Chinese Literature ...... 6 Institutionalizing the Humanities in the P.R.C...... 7 Writing, Ritual and Cultural Memory...... 7 Summer School...... 9 Conference Announcement...... 9 Call for Nominations to the EACS Board...... 10 Nomination for Election to Office for President...... 10 Venue for the 2012 Conference...... 10 CCK Foundation Library Travel Grant...... 11 Obituary Prof. Erik Zürcher ...... 13 Obituary Prof. John Barlow...... 15 New publications...... 17 EACS membership payment form...... 18

EACS Homepage: http://www.soas.ac.uk/eacs EACS ADDRESSES EACS NEWSLETTER

Change of address information and all The EACS Newsletter is published membership payments should be sent twice a year: in spring, and in autumn. to the Treasurer. All contributions should be sent to the Editor by E-mail or on a diskette. President Please remember to check your copy Brunhild Staiger, Institute of Asian carefully before sending it. Workshop Studies, Rothenbaumchaussee 32, and conference reports should not 20148 Hamburg, Germany exceed 600 words. Calls for papers Tel. +49 40 4288740 should not exceed 100 words. Fax +49 40 410 7945 Remember to include all relevant E-mail: [email protected] information when contributing new book titles (author, title, publication place, publisher, year, pp., price in Secretary EURO and ISBN). Names and titles Roel Sterckx, Department of East in non-Latin script such as Cyrillic are Asian Studies, University of welcome provided that the author’s Cambridge, Sidgwick Avenue, name is in transcription and a short Cambridge CB3 9DA, United content summary in English is Kingdom included. Tel. +44 (0)1223 335137 Every effort is made to include Fax +44 (0)1223 335110 all relevant news, but the Editor E-mail: [email protected] reserves the right to edit all contributions for publication.

Treasurer Newsletter Editor Matthias Richter, University of Ann Heirman, Department of Colorado at Boulder, Department of Chinese Language and Culture, Ghent East Asian Languages and University, Blandijnberg 2, B9000 Civilizations, 279 UCB, Boulder, CO Gent, Belgium. Tel. +32 9 264 41 56; 80309, USA fax +32 9 264 41 94 Tel. +1-303-735.0426 E-mail: [email protected] Fax +1—303-492.7272 E-mail: [email protected] NEXT COPY DEADLINE: November 1, 2008 Next issue: December, 2008 Webmaster Luca Pisano, Dipartimento di Orien- talistica – Sezione Sinologica, Via Giulia di Barolo 3/a, 10124 Torino, Italy Tel. + 39 011 6703852 Fax +39 011 6703858 E-mail: [email protected] LETTER OF THE PRESIDENT for our Young Scholar Award, which will be awarded in Lund for the third Dear Colleagues and Friends, time. A number of very promising papers have been submitted, and I am The XVIIth EACS Conference to be sure we shall have a stimulating held from 6-10 August in Lund is competition. drawing closer. The Organizing Committee in Lund headed by Roger The third event that I should like to Greatrex is busy with the preparations announce here will be the banquet on and we may expect a wonderful and the last evening (August 9). The interesting conference. More than 250 highlight will be an after dinner speech paper proposals have been selected by on the early history of our Association. the referees which would mean that At our last Board meeting it was 200-220 papers will be presented. decided to support endeavours to collect materials on the history of the Apart from the various panels there Junior Sinologues (who had their first will be some special events to which I meeting 60 years ago) and of the should like to draw your attention. The EACS, founded in 1975. Both the first highlight will be the welcome Junior Sinologues and the EACS have reception on the first evening (August an important place in the development 6). On that occasion we shall together of European sinology, and preserving with representatives of the Chiang their history ought to be an urgent task Ching-kuo Foundation celebrate the as long as those active in these early 20th anniversary of the Chiang Ching- developments are still available. I am kuo Foundation, which almost from its therefore very glad that Kristofer beginning has supported the EACS in Schipper, who may be considered one many ways. Those registering for the of the founding fathers of the EACS, conference are asked to pay a small has agreed to give a talk on the decline contribution for the reception, which, of the Junior Sinologues and the however, will not cover the costs. To establishment of the EACS. make it a festive event the evening will additionally be sponsored by the CCK I hope your curiosity has been aroused Foundation and the EACS. This will and many of you will attend the offer European sinologists an excellent conference. If you want to know more opportunity to exchange ideas with about the programme, please consult representatives of the CCK Foundation. the conference website under http://www.lu.se/eacs. You may expect a second highlight on the next morning at the opening April 30, 2008, Brunhild Staiger session. We invited the renowned Swedish sinologist Göran Malmqvist to give the keynote speech entitled NOTE FROM THE TREASURER “Recollections of a retired European sinologist”. This will be followed by the paper presentations of the nominees The upcoming conference has again brought about some new applications 3 and some renewals of membership. senders of anonymous payments is Twenty-four members have joined very time consuming and sometimes EACS in 2007 and seventeen in 2008. even leads to no result. Also, I would Calculated by the criterion of not like to encourage members to make use exceeding three years of unpaid dues, of the database to check their payment the exact number of present members is status. I recommend that you keep a 448. However, a total of 840 persons note of your login name and password are still registered in the database. I somewhere to aid your memory. expect some of them will renew their Thank you for your co-operation, membership. EACS finances are in good shape: At present, there are ca. 9,200 Euros on the giro account, and Matthias Richter the three custody accounts amount to a total of 39,800 Euros. I will present the NOTE FROM THE EDITOR balance in detail on the upcoming conference in Lund and in the next Dear EACS members, newsletter after the conference. Members who wish to pay their dues For five years now it has been my are kindly asked to do so as advised on pleasure to edit the EACS newsletter. the website (http://www.soas.ac.uk/ Since my term as a board member has eacs/pay.htm). I will still accept cash come to an end, EACS Newsletter 40 payments during the conference. will be my last newsletter after a series However, this option is only offered for of ten. I learned a lot about all kinds of cases in which bank transfer entails European activities, and I hope our unreasonably high bank fees and credit newsletter kept you informed. I would card payment (by Visa or American like to thank the board for the many Express) is impossible. If you need to helpful suggestions, and all EACS pay in cash, please have the correct members for sending their amount in Euros ready. I cannot contributions to the newsletter. My guarantee to be able to change and will very special thanks (and lifetime definitely not be able to accept Swedish Belgian chocolates) go to my colleague kronor or any other currency. Tim Wright who corrected the English When you pay your dues, please be phrasing of all newsletter texts. sure to state for whom you are paying I wish EACS all the best for the future! and for which years. Please make sure you fill in all the fields of the form, Ann Heirman including name of member(s) for whom you are paying, years for which you are paying, etc.; “name of the card holder” is not sufficient without the other information. For bank transfers, the name of the respective member should be stated in the memo. The bank advices I receive do not always contain the name of the sender. Tracing the 4

the syllabi and facilities in the different THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE centres represented, and on personal FIRST CONFERENCE OF interests, and lines of research of the JUNIOR SINOLOGUES IN delegates themselves.” CAMBRIDGE, LONDON AND OXFORD (1948) AND Eighteen scholars met in Cambridge on THE ORIGINS OF THE the sixth of January, 1948 – this could EACS be regarded as the real date of birth of the EACS. Sixty years ago, four women and fourteen men participated in the first The Notes included a list of all conference of the Junior Sinologues in delegates: England. The Introductory Note of the Leiden: Notes on a Conference of Junior A.F.H. Hulsewe, R.P. Kramers, P. Sinologues held at Cambridge, London Swann, Tjan Tjoe-som, Mrs. H. Wink and Oxford explained the background: London: “ The idea of holding a Conference of E.G. Pulleyblank, Miss H.M. Wright Junior Sinologues was born in Leiden Paris: in the summer of 1947, when students J. Gernet, J.W. de Jong of Chinese from the United Kingdom, Stockholm: met those of similar interests in the H. Bielenstein University of Leiden, and mutually Cambridge: realised the undesirable degree of E.B. Ceadel, P. Van der Loon, Mrs. isolation in which those engaged in this M.C. Van der Loon, J. de Morpurgo, field are working. As a result students Miss G. Scott from six European Universities met at Oxford: Cambridge in January 1948. The W.A.C.H. Dobson, D. Hawkes, K.G. Universities of Leiden, Stockholm, Robinson Paris, London, Cambridge and Oxford were represented.” In addition to the “Junior Sinologues”, According to one of the participants, more senior scholars participated in Professor Edwin Pulleyblank, the some events and presented papers: students who visited Leiden were Piet Prof. Haloun (Cambridge), Dr. A. van der Loon (Cambridge) and Bill Waley, Prof. W. Simon (London), Prof. Dobson (Oxford). The Introductory H. H. Dubs (Oxford). The delegates Note also mentions the aims of these also visited major libraries and the activities: British Museum. They also discussed “The hope was expressed that from the the development of Chinese Studies at Conference would ultimately emerge a their own institutions and their research more closely integrated School of projects. At the final meeting, the European Sinology, in which frequent delegates decided to meet again in the exchange of information and personal following year (in Leiden) and to visits would become the rule. To that exchange materials and information. end an agenda was drafted, designed to afford an exchange of information on

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For a quarter of a century, the Junior the EACS; the first president was Sinologues met (nearly) every year, Professor Sören Egerod (Copenhagen). and the numbers of delegates and Since 1976 the EACS members have papers increased rapidly. By 1955, met regularly at two-year intervals; the there were also American, Russian and last conference was in Ljubljana in Chinese participants. 2006, the next will be in Lund in August 2008. Membership has grown Junior Sinologues Conferences from 18 to more than 700. 1948 (I) Cambridge, London and Oxford Thomas Kampen 1949 (II) Leiden http://www.sino.uni- 1950 (III) London heidelberg.de/staff/kampen/ 1951 (IV) Paris Institute of Chinese Studies 1952 (V) Cologne (Köln- University of Heidelberg Wahn) 1953 (VI) Rome NEW RESOURCE: VerreTaal – 1954 (VII) Durham CHINESE LITERATUE IN DUTCH 1955 (VIII) Leiden (Oud- TRANSLATION Poelgeest) 1956 (IX) Paris We are pleased to announce the launch 1957 (X) Marburg of VerreTaal, an online database of 1958 (XI) Padua and Venice Chinese Literature in Dutch 1959 (XII) Cambridge Translation: 1960 Moscow [cancelled] 1961 (XIII) Hamburg VerreTaal is a collaboration between 1962 (XIV) Breukelen- the Department of Chinese Studies and Nijenrode the Sinological Library at Leiden 1963 (XV) Torino University and the Research Centre for 1964 (XVI) Bourdeaux Translation at the Chinese University 1965 (XVII) Leeds of Hong Kong. Using English as the 1966 (XVIII) Copenhagen- interface language, VerreTaal aims to Humblebaek provide a research tool for translation 1967 (XIX) Bochum studies, (comparative) literary studies, 1968 (XX) Prague [cancelled] (inter)cultural studies and area studies, 1969 (XXI) Senegallia / Chinese studies and other academic Marcerata fields -- and for the general reader and 1970 (XXII) Stockholm library user. 1971 (XXIII) Oxford 1972 (XXIV) Leiden The database lists Dutch-language, (Noordwijkerhout) direct and relay translations of works originally written in Chinese. At Because of their success and growth, present it includes book titles in poetry, the conferences became too big and fiction and non-fiction, and drama. difficult to handle. Thus, in 1975 a Entries in multiple-author anthologies formal organisation was established, contain individual author names, story /

6 essay titles and corresponding page complementary source material, numbers where available. In the near interviews with contemporary future, we hope to expand the database witnesses are conducted. to include journal publications. With regard to ideologizing the humanities, the role of the Chinese VerreTaal can be browsed by authors, intellectuals is seen neither as that of translators, titles and subjects, or victims nor as that of the culprits of the searched using traditional and process. Furthermore, Maoism is simplified Chinese and Hanyu Pinyin. understood as a depersonalized process It has been tested on various platforms originating pre-1949. and browsers and is accessible free of The project is based on research charge at that analyzes the various discourses in http://www.unileiden.net/verretaal/. China at the time, as well as on theories of ritual and previous research on Audrey Heijns, Research Centre for Stalinism. It aims to contribute to a Translation, Chinese University of greater sensitivity towards early signals Hong Kong of political change which - then as now Hanno Lecher, Librarian, Sinological - gradually appear and develop within Library, Leiden University academic discourse. Maghiel van Crevel, Professor of Chinese language & literature, Leiden Yvonne Schulz Zinda (philosophy) University University of Hamburg

INSTITUTIONALIZING THE WRITING, RITUAL AND HUMANITIES IN THE P.R. CULTURAL MEMORY IN EARLY CHINA: THE 1950s STATES

Project at the University of Hamburg From November 5 to 7, 2007, a diverse Funded by the German Research group of international scholars were Foundation invited by Dr. Xiaobing Wang-Riese Start of the project: December 2006; (University of Munich) and Dr. Daniel duration: 36 months. Graña-Behrens (University of Frankfurt) to Munich, to participate in The project examines the content and a three-day conference entitled rules of academic work in China during “Writing, Ritual and Cultural Memory the 50s, specifically the then newly in Early States”. The conference established fields of history, literary followed an earlier symposium in criticism, and philosophy. It focuses on Shanghai (cf. EACS Newsletter the 1950s, as the legacy of those years No.36). This year’s discussion in still endures in present-day China. Munich provided a forum for a trans- Firstly, this project will examine the disciplinary exchange among interrelation between party line and sinologists and mesoamericanists. academic discourse, both in terms of Dietrich Harth (University of content and in terms of elements and Heidelberg) opened proceedings by patterns of ritual communication. As establishing the scientific framework. 7

He gave a speech on the invention of Touching upon the topics of the term “cultural memory” paleography and the deciphering of (“kulturelles Gedächtnis“), which was glyphs, Ken-ichi Takashima developed by a group of Heidelberg (University of British Columbia) scholars and which refers to the introduced his own “synchronic shaping of the normative worldviews evidential approach” that allows of a culture through the process of scholars to identify linguistic and recurrent remembrance. In this context, cultural aspects of early Chinese. Daniel Graña-Behrens and Markus Maarten Jansen (University of Leiden) Eberl (University of Tulane) shed light examined the way in which on how social memory and ancestor pictographic manuscripts of the veneration was cultivated in classic Mixtecs were represented in ancient Maya societies. Robert H. Gassmann pictography, and Victoria Bricker (University of Zurich) analysed two (University of Tulane) elaborated on types of “filial piety” xiào and the the pre-Columbian conceptions of cult significant changes they may have and time. Gordon Whittaker caused in the ancestral system of the (University of Göttingen) drew the Eastern Zhou period, while Dennis conclusion that most of the so-called Schilling (University of Munich) “scientific proof” in support of proto- discussed social and ideological historical contact between China and changes in the Eastern Han using burial Mesoamerica is indeed hardly more steles and epitaphs as evidence. than wishful thinking. Writing and textual compositions The third day of the conference act as a driving force in the process of was reserved for open debate, with the formation of cultural identity, Hans van Ess, Thomas O. Höllman, Ma especially in relation to conceptions of Jian, Achim Mittag, Berthold Riese, time. In this context, Xiaobing Wang- Christian Schwermann and others as Riese argued that the conception of discussants. Comparing two cultures past and future in early China reached that are as diverse and structurally their historical dimensions only in different as China and Mesoamerica, Zhou bronze inscriptions. Edward L. will result in observations which – at Shaughnessy (University of Chicago) best – may bring parallels to light that reviewed past theories about the mean can be considered innate to all periodicity of the moon in the Western prehistoric cultures. However, when Zhou calendar and presented new trying to understand cultural evidence to show that the “four phenomena, the way these phenomena moonphases theory” proposed by are scientifically approached is indeed Wang Guowei (1877-1927) is a trans-disciplinary problem. The essentially correct. Maria Khayutina Munich conference therefore marked (University of Munich) drew on an important step in making new inscriptions on bronze vessels to methodologies and scientific examine the ways the Western Zhou procedures available to a trans- royal calendar was used in the context disciplinary audience of culture of the social background of its users. experts.

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Thomas Kaiser undergraduate students. We welcome University of Munich everyone to join us. If you want to [email protected] present a brief collaboration proposal, please contact the organizers of the panel (Ann Heirman: SUMMER SCHOOLS FOR [email protected] or Sun Lam: DOCTORAL, MASTER AND [email protected]). UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS Ann Heirman At the same time as BA and MA Sun Lam degrees are being reformed all over Europe, many European universities CONFERENCE have begun to offer summer schools for ANNOUNCEMENT doctoral students. These schools typically offer workshops centred around international research programs. China, Chinese Civilization and the Students receive credits for a variety of World activities, such as participation at workshops, conferences, or the The 17th International Conference on publication of a research article. In “China, Chinese Civilization and the order to offer PhD students relevant World: History, Modernity and Future international workshops, European Prospects” will take place at the RAS universities are currently striving for Institute of Far Eastern Studies, increased collaboration in the offering Moscow on October 22-24 2008. Its of doctoral summer schools. In this main theme is “30 Years of Reforms in context, spring/summer schools around the PRC: Experience, Problems and a central topic aimed at PhD students Lessons”. are among the possible formats for The Conference will be collaboration. organized by the RAS Institute of Far Another type of summer school Eastern Studies, together with the RAS is aimed at advanced BA students or Academic Council on Comprehensive Masters students and typically focuses Studies of Modern China, the Russia- on a broad field (such as Chinese China Friendship Association and the Studies) for a diverse audience. It Russia-China Committee for brings together teachers and students Friendship, Peace and Development. from many different European Apart from the two Plenary Sessions, universities, raising interest in a range the conference proceedings shall of research topics in a context of include the following panels: European mobility.  Economic Aspects of Reform in At the EACS Conference in the PRC; Lund, August 2008, a panel will be  International Relations of the organized on the possibilities of PRC in the Context of Reforms European collaboration in the and Open-Door Policy; framework of Summer Schools for  China’s Political History in the doctoral, masters or advanced Reform Period;

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 Society and Culture in the EACS members to nominate candidates Reform Period. for the new Board. I especially appeal to outgoing Board members who are In addition, a round-table discussion on the only representatives of their China’s Road to the Future is planned. country to try and nominate a new We invite all scholars to take part in the Board member from among their conference. For more details, please, colleagues. Candidates who wish to be visit our website: www.ifes-ras.ru nominated for election at the General Assembly in Lund 2008 should contact the Secretary in writing or by e-mail Mikhail L. Titarenko ([email protected]) prior to that Director, RAS Institute of Far Eastern meeting. Many thanks indeed. Studies Chairman, RAS Academic Council on Roel Sterckx Comprehensive Studies of Modern China NOMINATION FOR ELECTION CALL FOR NOMINATIONS TO TO OFFICE FOR THE EACS BOARD PRESIDENT

At the Lund meeting this year in All members of EACS are invited to August we need to replenish the EACS nominate candidates for the position of Board with new members. According the President of the Association. to article 9 of our Constitution, the According to the article 10 of our Board is made up of twenty-four constitution, the President is elected for members, including the President, and a period of 2 years (and may be re- is elected by the General Assembly elected for two further consecutive every two years at the time of the terms of office). Article 9 of the biennial conference. It goes without constitution provides for direct election saying that candidates for Board of the President by the General membership are normally scholars Assembly and requires nominations for actively engaged in Chinese Studies this election, signed by two Ordinary and affiliated to an academic institution Members, to be in the hands of the in Europe. Our constitution requires a Secretary at least two months before balanced representation from different the date of the General Assembly. European countries. As a rule therefore The Board proposes Brunhild Staiger, the Board should include no more than Senior Research Fellow at the three residents of any single country Institute of Asian Affairs, Hamburg. (the President counts as one of three). Brunhild Staiger has agreed to continue Board members cannot serve more than for another two years. three terms (which means 6 consecutive years). In Lund at least VENUE FOR THE 2012 eight Board members stand to step CONFERENCE down having served their full term. I therefore would like to encourage all

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During the General Assembly in Lund we will also be discussing where to Priorities are given to applicants as hold the EACS Conference in 2012 follows: (after Riga 2010). This will then be a. Central and Eastern Europe decided at the General Assembly by students vote. If you would like to suggest that b. Western Europe students the conference be held in your country c. Central and Eastern Europe or institution, we kindly ask you to scholars prepare a proposal that can be d. Western Europe scholars presented to the General Assembly. Please make sure that the APPLICATIONS must include: proposal includes basic information about the institution as well as about 1) a letter stating the library to be the plans for organizing the conference, visited and intended dates of travel; including details about the 2) a statement of purpose, to include a accommodation and other facilities. short description of the research project, including precise indication of Roel Sterckx the sources and material to be used (the easiest way to obtain this information is to consult the electronic catalogues of CHIANG CHING-KUO the respective libraries accessible also FOUNDATION LIBRARY through the EACS website). TRAVEL GRANT 3) a written statement obtained from the Librarian of the institute where the In 2008 the Chiang Ching-kuo proposed visit is to take place Foundation continues its generous confirming that the research materials support to EACS by funding one-week required are available for consultation; visits for specialised research in 4) a one-page curriculum vitae with a Sinological libraries in Cambridge, list of main publications (in case of Heidelberg, Leiden, London, Oxford, more advanced scholars); Paris or Munich. 5) a statement of the travelling expenses (Apex economy airfare or Applications received before the 2nd class rail fare), including a note of deadline of October 20th will be other sources of funding; considered within 3 weeks after receipt. 6) in the case of Ph.D. students, a letter of recommendation from their Applicants should be Sinologists supervisor; based permanently in Europe and 7) in the case of non-members, a letter preferably paid-up members of the of recommendation from an EACS EACS. Applications from non- member; members will be considered, however, 8) address for correspondence, especially in case of students and including fax and E-mail where young scholars (up to 35 years), if possible. accompanied by a recommendation letter from an EACS member.

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APPLICATIONS should be sent to the president is in charge of the financial following coordinators: administration of the grant. 6) Upon completion of the visit, a brief 1) for research on pre-modern China report should be sent to the EACS (i.e. before 1840) to Dr. Bernhard Secretary, Dr. Roel Sterckx (e-mail: Fuehrer, School of Oriental and [email protected]). Any publication African Studies, London, Thornhaugh using material collected under this Street, Russell Square, London WC1H program should include acknowledge- OXG, United Kingdom. Fax: +44 (0) ment of help received from the CCK 20 7898 4239. E-mail: [email protected]. Foundation. Dr. Fuehrer is able to process applications sent by e-mail only. LIBRARIANS

2) for research on modern China (i.e. (For further details about the libraries from 1840) to Dr. Thomas Kampen, see our website or the website of the Sinologisches Seminar, Heidelberg European Association of Sinological University, Akademiestraße 4-8, D- Librarians at: www.easl.org) 69117 Heidelberg, Germany. E-mail: [email protected] FRANCE: Delphine Spicq, Bibliothèque de l'Institut des Hautes Études Chinoises, PAYMENT OF GRANTS Collège de France, 52 rue du Cardinal Lemoine, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, 1) If applications are approved, grants France. Fax: +33-1-44 27 18 79. will be made to include travelling E-mail: delphine.spicq@college-de- expenses and a per diem allowance, france.fr which will vary from place to place. 2) The grants will be paid on GERMANY: completion of the visit only. Ms A. Labitzky-Wagner, Sinologisches 3) Applicants who, due to special Seminar, Universität Heidelberg, circumstances, need to receive the Akademiestrasse 4-8, D-69117 grant in advance, should indicate so Heidelberg, Germany. Fax: +49-6221- in their application. 54-24-39. E-mail: [email protected] 4) On completion of their visit, all heidelberg.de scholars should obtain a letter signed Ms. Renate Stephan at the Bavarian by the Librarian, certifying that the State Library, Section East Asia, Fax visit has been made and specifying the +49-89-28636-2805. dates when it began and ended. [email protected] 5) All scholars should send the Librarian’s letter directly to the NETHERLANDS: president of EACS Dr. Brunhild Hanno Lecher M.A., Sinologisch STAIGER, Institut fur Asien-Studien, Instituut, Arsenaalstraat 1, 2311CT, Rothenbaumchaussee 32, DE-20148 Leiden, The Netherlands. Fax: 71-27- Hamburg, Germany. E-mail: 226-15. [email protected]. The EACS E-mail: [email protected]

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Zürcher liked to call the local UNITED KINGDOM: schoolmasters. Charles Aylmer, Chinese Section, University Library, West Road, A student at Leiden University from Cambridge CB3 9DR, United 1947, Erik Zürcher produced a brilliant Kingdom. Fax: +44-1223-333-160. PhD dissertation in 1959, which E-mail: [email protected] quickly became a classic in the study of Ms Sue Small, School of Oriental & Chinese Buddhism, The Buddhist African Studies, University of London, Conquest of China. The first edition is Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, still graced by his beautiful Chinese London WC1H OXG, UK. Fax: +44- handwriting (he was also known for his 171-436-38-44. masterful drawings). The Buddhist E-mail: [email protected] Conquest was reprinted in 1972 and Frances Wood, British Library, again in 2007, indicating the Chinese Section, Oriental & India importance of this work. Personally, I Office Collections, 96 Euston Road, have always felt that his dissertation London NW1 2DB, UK. Fax: +44-171- must have been both a joy (for it set 412-78-58. him off on a successful career) and a E-mail: [email protected] burden (for it was a hard act to follow). David Helliwell, Bodleian Library, Be that as it may, he wrote a flow of Oxford, OX1 3BG, United Kingdom. serious articles from the 1970s onward Fax: +-44-1865-277132. – on such topics as early Chinese E-mail: [email protected] vernacular, Buddhist messianism and the early Jesuit mission – of which the significance is undiminished today. OBITUARY Somewhere hidden in a drawer there PROF. ERIK ZÜRCHER must be several typescript chapters of 1928-2008 his grammar of the Chinese in Kumarajiva’s translations of Buddhist On Thursday 7 February 2008, the first texts. A common element in his day of the Chinese New Year, Emeritus research on Buddhism, Christianity and Professor Erik Zürcher passed away. Chinese communism was the encounter He had been in frail health for some of Chinese culture and foreign thought time, and his eyes were giving him and worldviews. Characteristically, trouble. He remained fully clear of while he produced a course syllabus mind until the end, as testified by his containing a detailed analytical model publication in 2007 of a major for this material, he never published monograph containing translations of this in English. He often preferred conversations between Jesuit Guilio staying close to the sources rather than Aleni and local Chinese literati. This designing abstract vistas. constitutes a unique study of international religious contact, for once In addition to his scholarly work, not focusing on polemics conducted Zürcher was also a builder of from elite perspectives but on debate institutions, at a time when there was between a missionary and what much room for personal initiative 13 without red tape or formats imposed to put the study of modern China on an from above. As early as 1931, institutional footing. From 1976 to Zürcher’s teacher, Professor JLL 1992, he was co-editor of T’oung Pao, Duyvendak, had founded the the oldest still extant sinological Sinological Institute; after Professor journal today. He enjoyed ample Hulsewé retired in 1974, Zürcher academic recognition, visible in honors became the Institute’s director, even such as membership of the Royal though the directorship was later Netherlands Academy of Arts and deemed ad interim, because the Sciences (from 1975) and election to Institute’s formal status had somehow Correspondant étranger de l'Académie evaporated between institutional- des Inscriptions et Belles-lettres (from organizational lines. However, since 1985). “the Sinological Institute” is how Chinese Studies at Leiden University From the 1970s, while taking part in was known internationally, we have work on European Expansion continued to use this name at home and elsewhere in the Faculty of Arts, abroad – and with some justification, Zürcher taught and served in various for the Institute comprises a administrative functions in the Department of Chinese Studies and an Department of Chinese Studies. outstanding Sinological Library. Additionally, throughout the years he sat on countless committees inside the Having first been appointed Reader, in University and elsewhere, including 1961 Erik Zürcher took up duty as full international scholarly organizations professor of Far-Eastern History, with and institutions such as Unesco. This special attention to Chinese-Western included a two year period as president contacts in the broad sense. This was of the European Association for doubtless a purposefully vague Chinese Studies (EACS), from 1990 to designation: in the Chinese tradition, 1992. In 1978, following a request the West includes India, the breeding from Chinese Studies’ students, he ground of Buddhism, and not just began preparing slide series for faraway Europe. In 1969, after several classroom use, an initiative which years of successful lobbying, Zürcher quickly grew into a prestigious project founded the Documentation Center for for visual education (co)funded by the Contemporary China (with a dedicated Taiwan Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation, budget), facilitating the study of for which, together with colleagues, he present-day China and communism by systematically collected images for the others. In Europe, this made Leiden production of thematic slide series. The one of the Universities that took project moved on into computerization modern China seriously early on. In early on, but following the increasingly itself this made sense, since Chinese strict enforcement of copyright rules Studies in the Netherlands had and the advent of the Internet, what had consistently been linked with practical been a head start now turned into an concerns in the areas of colonial rule, administrative backlog that made it international relations and trade – but it difficult to continue and expand. was typical of Zürcher that he managed Meanwhile, many cohorts of students

14 had enjoyed and learned from this premodern Chinese (and English, and “visualization of Chinese history”. Dutch, and many other tongues) made Zürcher’s interest in matters visual, what he said highly motivating for me closely interwoven with the and many others. archaeology, art and material culture of China, was also manifest in his Erik Zürcher combined phenomenal initiative toward the establishment of erudition with an exceptionally critical the Hulsewé-Wazniewski Foundation, mind and something one might simply which has advanced teaching and call intellectual style – and with a keen research in these areas at Leiden sense of humor. He was a great University since 1997. sinologist, who made invaluable contributions to scholarship and As in his research, so in his teaching inspired many students and colleagues. Zürcher excelled at clear, well- formulated exposition. Unfortunately, Barend ter Haar, February 12, 2008 he had no senior students in his own, original field of early Buddhism, but he OBITUARY trained many in the study of PROF. JOHN BARLOW th Christianity in China in the 17 1925-2008 century. Especially his 1980s seminars truly helped shape some of his students John Sutton Barlow of Concord, at the time, including Nicolas Massachusetts, died February 15. He Standaert, now professor of Chinese at was born in Raleigh, NC on June 10, the Catholic University of Leuven and 1925 and graduated from the the undersigned. Still, personal University of North Carolina at Chapel attention was not the most important Hill with a major in physics and thing, for Zürcher was used to mathematics in 1944. He served in the maintaining a certain distance from us U.S. Navy from June 1944 to August as students, and later as PhD candidates 1946, including radar school at MIT, and colleagues. While this could at and remained in the Naval Reserve as a times be frustrating, it was more than Lt. jg until his resignation in 1948 made good by the sheer space he gave because he had become a conscientious us to develop – and this was not just objector to war. After active duty, he laissez-faire but also bespoke a returned to UNC for an M.S. degree in fundamental conception of and attitude physics. Shortly after beginning to knowledge. During seminar sessions, further graduate studies at Johns he would, for instance, emphasize that Hopkins University, he decided to he himself had needed years to master apply to medical school and was particular types of language such as allowed to take pre-medical courses those employed in Buddhist and Taoist along with graduate physics courses. texts. At the same time, frequent He returned to Chapel Hill for instances of irony in his comments on the first two years of medical school, our readings created room for new then transferred to Harvard Medical interpretations. His astonishing School. By that time he had become command of various types of interested in Norbert Wiener’s 15

Cybernetics and decided that his was while looking through Chinese wartime training in electronics dictionaries that he discovered the combined with medical training Russian graphical system for arranging pointed to a career of study of the Chinese characters in a dictionary. In nervous system. Even before the hope of spreading this system to the graduating from medical school, in a rest of the world, he added English and joint project between the Department appendices to an existing large of Neurology at Massachusetts General Chinese-Russian dictionary to produce Hospital and the Research Laboratory the 856-page A Chinese-Russian- of Electronics at MIT, he began English Dictionary (arranged by the designing and building the first U.S. Rosenberg Graphical System). He also analog correlator for brain potentials researched and wrote about the life of (now at the MIT Museum). Otto O. Rosenberg, the buddhologist After graduating from Harvard who perfected the graphical system. Medical School in 1953, Dr. Barlow John Barlow’s interests included began his career of more than 50 years train travel, world affairs (especially as a neuroscientist at Massachusetts the United Nations), music, biking, General Hospital, mainly in EEG unicycling, reading biographies of analysis. He was a past president of scientists. He played the pipe organ at the Eastern Association of home and on trips abroad, with Electroencephalographers and the emphasis on J.S. Bach because he had American EEG Society. In more the same initials. He was known for recent years, he designed electronic his puns. He is survived by his wife of models to simulate how parts of the 57 years, Sibylle (Jahrreiss), their brain work. He authored many children, Thomas of Wilmington DE, scientific articles and two books in his Robert of Pleasanton CA, and Lisa of field. Boulder CO, six grandchildren and one He also translated scientific great-granddaughter. articles and books from Russian, Polish, Czech, Bulgarian and Chinese Sybille Barlow with the aid of many dictionaries. It

16

NEW PUBLICATIONS

Romain Graziani and Roel Sterckx a través de tacticas y estrategias non (eds.), De l'Esprit aux Esprits: Enquête convencionales. Barcelona : Ediciones Deusto, 2007. 200 pp. ISBN-13: 978- sur la notion de shen en Chine. 84-234-2515-0. 19.95 € Extrême-orient, Extrême-occident 29. Saint-Denis: Presses Universitaires de Harro von Senger, Supraplanung : Vincennes, 2007. ISBN 978-2-84292- Unerkannte Denkhorizonte aus dem 207-8. Reich der Mitte. München: Hanser Verlag. 2008. 302 pp. ISBN 978-3- Harro von Senger, 36 Estratagemas 446-41365-8. 19.90 € para Directivos: Alcance sus objetivos

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EACS BOARD MEMBERS

Dušan ANDRŠ. Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic Joel BELLASEN. INALCO, Paris, France. Anna BUSQUETS. Open University of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain Carine DEFOORT. Catholic University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. Halvor EIFRING. Oslo University, Oslo, Norway. Denise GIMPEL. University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Svetlana GORBUNOVA. Institute of Far Eastern Studies, Moscow, Russia Barend ter HAAR. Sinological Institute, Leiden, The Netherlands Imre HAMAR. Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest, Hungary. Ann HEIRMAN. Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. Thomas KAMPEN. Institut für Sinologie, Heidelberg, Germany Frank KRAUSHAAR. University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia Barbara LEONESI. Università degli Studi di Torino, Torino, Italy Tiziana LIPPIELLO. Università Ca’ Foscari, Venezia, Italy Cecilia MILWERTZ. NIAS, Copenhagen, Denmark. Lauri PALTEMAA.University of Turku, Finland. Irina POPOVA. Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia. Matthias RICHTER. University of Colorado, Boulder, USA. Jana ROŠKER. University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia. Brunhild STAIGER. Institute of Asian Affairs, Hamburg, Germany. Roel STERCKX. Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK. Lam SUN. University of Minho, Braga, Portugal. Marina SVENSSON. Lund University, Lund, Sweden. Tim WRIGHT. University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.

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