The Institute for Advanced Study on Social Science at Fudan University (IAS-Fudan), China
In order to enhance studies on China at LSE we have created the ‘China in Comparative Perspective’ methodology. In response to LSE’s innovative interdisciplinary methodological lecture series ‘Thinking like a social scientist‘ we developed the term ‘advanced study on China’. By this we mean the usage of China as a comparator to compare with other countries or regions in interdisciplinary, cross institutions, and translational approaches for advancing general knowledge. As a type of advanced study on China the CCPN (China in Comparative Perspective Network) has engaged closely with the Institute for Advanced Study on Social Science at Fudan University (IAS-Fudan) since its launch in June 2008.
IAS-Fudan
Fudan-IAS, the fascinating initiative, stresses on ‘social science’ was established in 2008, and provides a bridge to the Institute for Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences at Nanjing University.
It seeks to become a leading social science institute in China and to promote awareness of cutting edge global social science developments in China to achieve a better understanding of social science theories, intellectual inquires, traditions and approaches, and methods. Its mission is to build an a (n) inter/ (non-) disciplinary academic system with China-based academic criteria and its aim is to build a new discourse in social sciences by breaking the existing disciplinary barriers.
It has the following major publications:
4 journals:
- Chinese Social Sciences Quarterly
- Fudan Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences (in English)
- Yearbook of Western Legal Philosophers Study
- Political Philosophy Review
4 book series:
- Knowledge and Law: Report Selections
- Speech Collections of Advanced Forum on World Social Sciences
- Speech Collections of Advanced Forum on In-depth Research on China
- BookSeries on Developing China (in English – – Translated Research from China), World Scientific Publishing Co Pte Ltd)
It also publishes YaleGlobal Online Fudan edition (in Chinese)
The following books below can be found in Amazon UK:
- 2013 Rethinking Chinese Jurisprudence and Exploring Its Future: A Sociology of Knowledge Perspective, by Deng Zhenglai, World Scientific Publishing
- 2013 Sino-US Relations: A Chinese Perspective , Deng Zhenglai, World Scientific Publishing
- 2012 Globalization and Localization: The Chinese Perspective , Deng Zhenglai, World Scientific Publishing
- 2011 China’s Search for Good Governance, by Sujian Guo &, Deng Zhenglai, Palgrave Macmillan
- 2011 Reviving Legitimacy: Lessons for and from China (Challenges Facing Chinese Political Development), Deng Zhenglai at el (eds), Lexington Books
- 2010 State and Civil Society: The Chinese Perspective , Deng Zhenglai, World Scientific Publishing
- 2009 China’s Economy: Rural and Agricultural Development , Deng Zhenglai, World Scientific Publishing
DENG Zhenglai: the founder of IAS-Fudan
The founding Dean of the IAS Fudan-IAS Professor Zhenglai Deng (1956-2013) passed away because of gastric cancer on 24 Jan 2013, aged 56, see Obituary and a memorial service.
Deng Zhenglai, was the one of first independent scholar in socialist China for 18 years after his postgraduate from the China Foreign Affairs University (CFAU). In 1987 he established the Beijing Institute of Social Sciences, one of the earliest private research institutes in China. He was the founding editor of the Chinese Social Sciences Quarterly, editor-in-chief of Fudan China Studies and China Social Sciences Quarterly. Deng took professorship at Jilin University in 2003. From 2008 to 13 he was a distinguished professor of Fudan University, Dean of Fudan-IAS, and adjunct professor, guest professor, or honorary professor at many Chinese universities.
Deng published 25 books, 20 translated books, 43 edited books, and 95 journal articles, e,g State and Society: China’s Civil Society (2002); Research and Reflections: Autonomy of China’s Social Sciences (2006); Freedom and Order: Hayekian Social Theories (2012); Hayekian Legal Philosophy (2004); Rules, Order, and Ignorance: Hayekian Liberalism (2009); and China’s Legal Science: Where is it headed (2011)? His works have greatly influenced China ’s social sciences.
Deng’s research interests include legal philosophy, political philosophy, and various social science cross-disciplinary areas. He was the only Chinese scholar whose work was cited across 6 social scientific disciplines with high ranks, e.g. No. 1 in Law, No. 2 in political Sciences, and No. 5 in Sociology (No.1 is Fei Xiaotong), according to A report on academic Influence of the research achievements in humanities and social science in China (China Social Science Publishing House, 2007).
Professor Stephan Feuchtwang’s condolence
I have known and admired Deng Zhenglai since the 1980s and am shocked to learn of his death so young. His extraordinary resourcefulness as an academic businessman, an intellectual and a translator were remarkable in any country. I admired him particularly as an intellectual activist. He opened possibilities of discussion across the social sciences, outside and between university departments, in times when established institutes and universities blocked such possibilities. When they opened up within universities, he was able as head of Fudan University’s Institute of Advanced Social Sciences, to further his intellectual entrepreneurship from within a university. It is extremely sad that his adventure has been curtailed. I hope others will be able to take up the challenge of continuing it (28 Jan 2013).
IAS-Fudan and LSE
- Professor Lord Anthony Giddens (the former LSE Director) together with Professor Immanuel Wallerstein (Yale University) are Honorary Directors of the ISA-Fudan.
- Professor Stephan Feuchtwang is one of the funding members of the Academic Advisory Committee since 2008 when the IAS-Fudan was found. He donated his books to the IAS-Fudan. He also gave a lecture entitled ‘ The concept of civilization and civilization of China‘ in 2009.
- Professor Deng Zhenglai was CCPN Academic Advisory Committee member since 2008.
- Methodologically, the innovative term ‘advanced study on China’ that CCPN suggested was partly inspirited by the IAS-Funda’s mission.
- Deng zhenglai acted as a general discussant at the academic symposium organised by Professors Wang Mingming and Stephan Feuchtewang in 1997, and published a long review article entitled ‘State and Society: the construction and limitation of the research framework’, in Wang and Feuchtwang, eds. The order, justice and authority in Chinese society (in Chinese), Beijing: Chinese University of Political Science and Law Press. p608-645.
- Deng Zhenglai wrote a blurb for Dr Xiangqun Chang’s book Guanxi or Li Shang Wanglai ?: Reciprocity, Social Support Networks, Social Creativity in a Chinese Village, Airiti Press, 2010 [“The great achievements in socio-economic development over the past three decades have attracted worldwide attention to China. Questions about China’s development model are becoming a very popular topic with different social scientific disciplines in the age of globalization. Chang Xiangqun’s book Guanxi vs Li shang wanglai? can be seen as a “virtual icon” in which the so-called “China model” is embedded. This book is an excellent outcome based on the author’s transdisciplinary training in both China and the West, long term in-depth empirical studies on contemporary China. It is the first Chinese scholar’s book, in nearly 100 years, to systematically challenge important Western social anthropological theories of social exchange and reciprocity” – by Deng Zhenglai]
- Dr Xi Lin, The 1st student from mainland China who obtained a PhD at the Department of Government, LSE. As a CCPN visiting researcher who worked for CCPN from 2008-11, he became ISA-Fudan Fellow since 2009. His PhD dissertation was published Emotions and Politics in Human Society: A Progressive Critique, New Star Press, 2012
- Deng Zhenglai maintains a good relationship with LSE Alumni, e.g.Professor Peng Xizhe (PhD in Population Studies in 1988) Professor Huang Ping (PhD of Sociology 1991), Professor Shen Guanbao (VF in Anthropology in 1989-90), Professor Song Xinning (VF in International Relations, 1991-92), Professor Qu Tiepeng (VF in STICERD, 1994)etc.
When Professor Stephan Feuchtwang and Dr Xiangqun Chang visited IAS-Fudan in 2009 Professor Deng Zhenglai organised a gathering with scholars in Shanghai from the Shanghai Academy of Social Science (SASS), Fudan University, Shanghai University and East China University Of Science And Technology.
The above pictures are Stephan Feuchtwang gave a lecture at AIS-Fudan, and donated his book to Deng Zhenglai, Zhang Letian and Xiangqun Chang were discussants at the lecture.
The two people in the picture above are Professor Stephan Feuchtwang and Professor Deng Zhenglai. Zhenglai told us that this building was called the Guanghua Building which was completed in 2005 for the Centennial celebration of Fudan University. The name of Guanhua came from the Confucian Classics, meaning: “Itinerant as the twilight, sun glows and moon luminesces” (“日月光华，旦复旦兮”). It was the origin of the name of Fudan University. He then sat on the cement ball of the West side and offered Stephan to sit on the ball on the East side, and said: ‘let’s exchange views by swapping positions in front of the IAS-Fudan office, which occupies the top level (28th level) of the East tower building. This posture has quadruple meanings’. Stephan: ‘Of what?’ Zhenglai: ‘You guess…’
Note: (1) This page has been updated in memory of Professor Deng Zhenglai’s tremendous contribution to Chinese social sciences and great endeavours in promoting social scientific work between China and the world.
(2) Look at Zhenglai with multiple perspectives —- also to memorialize two social theorists who died at a young age from China and Taiwan (in Chinese), by Xiangqun Chang