Beijing Center for Japanese Studies

At an International Workshop, with Prof. Verena Blechinger-Talcott (Free University of Berlin), Prof. Guo Lianyou (the chief professor of the Beijing Center for Japanese Studies at that time) and Prof. SONODA Shigeto (the Japanese chief professor of the Beijing Center for Japanese Studies)

The Beijing Center for Japanese Studies was established in 1985, under the agreement between the Japan Foundation and the Ministry of Education of the Government of the People's Republic of China. It succeeded the Training Center for Japanese Language Teachers, known as "Ohira School" (1980-1985), which was founded under the agreement between then Prime Minister OHIRA Masayoshi of Japan and then Premier Hua Guofeng of China in 1979, with the aim of fostering human resources to promote Japanese language and Japanese studies in China as well as cultural exchange between the two countries. Currently, the Center is operated at two sites: Beijing Foreign Studies University and Peking University.

The Japan Foundation has been a co-organizer of the projects such as dispatching experts in Japanese studies to the Center and inviting Chinese people including graduate students to Japan. The Japan Foundation has also supported the Center to facilitate their research and educational environment by funding operational expenses and publication costs as well as by donating educational materials, research materials and equipment.

1. Beijing Foreign Studies University
(The Beijing Center for Japanese Studies)

The Center offers six master's degree courses: Japanese linguistics, Japanese-language education, Japanese literature, Japanese culture, Japanese society, and Japanese economy.
The Japan Foundation provides opportunities for master's and doctoral students to come to Japan for collecting on-the-spot materials and searching publications for their dissertations to be written under the Japanese dissertation supervisor.

At the Reporting Session of 36th Master’s Degree Course in Tokyo (July 2022)

In addition, in recent years, the Japan Foundation has supported academic exchanges such as international workshops with third countries and participation in international conferences as an effort to position the Center in an international network for Japanese studies.

At an Online Workshop for Doctoral Students by Prof. Verena Blechinger-Talcott (Free University of Berlin, on the second from the right of the first row) and Prof. SONODA Shigeto (on the right of the first row) (May, 2022)

At an Online Workshop for Master’s Students by Prof. KARIYA Tekehiko (University of Oxford, third from the top) and Prof. SONODA Shigeto

The number of students who have studied at the Center is as follows (as of August 2022):

• Master's degree course: 985 students (as of the 37th graduates)
  (863 students completed Master's degree course as of the 35th graduates are included)
• Ph.D. course, government-sponsored: 79 students as of the 22nd graduates (Ended in 2011)
• Ph.D. course at the Beijing Center for Japanese Studies: 130 students as of the 22nd graduates
  (97 students completed Ph.D. course are included)

The Japan Foundation has been dispatching 776 experts in total to the center for educational support of this project (as of August 2022, including online lectures).

2. Peking University
(The Center for Contemporary Japanese Studies)

In 1990, "Contemporary Japanese Studies Course" was established at Peking University with the aim of fostering Chinese experts and scholars with accurate knowledge and expertise on the current state of Japan’s economy, administration, industry, and society, policy-making process, and so on. In 2005, the course was renamed "the Center for Contemporary Japanese Studies," and redesigned as a one-year course for doctoral students of school of Social Sciences at Peking University, aiming for more advanced education and research achievements.

Opening Ceremony of the 17th Doctoral Course (November 2021)

The lectures at the Center for Contemporary Japanese Studies are given by approximately 10 Japanese experts (e.g., Japanese university professors, administrative officials) sent by the Japan Foundation and Chinese faculty members mainly from Peking University. In addition, a two-week study tour to Japan is conducted to deepen understanding of Japan by experiencing actual Japanese society.
So far, 627 Chinese business persons and graduate students of Peking University in total have completed the course. The Japan Foundation has dispatched 332 lecturers in total for the course (as of August 2022, including online lectures).

The 30th Anniversary Meeting of the Center for Contemporary Japanese Studies (December 2020)

Academic Research Debate of the 17th Doctoral Course (December 2021)
Rehearsal for “Japanese Studies Forum 2021” by Peking University, Nankai University and Fudan University

Online Seminar of the 17th Doctoral Course (July 2022)
Students’ Research Presentations and Advice from the Chief Professor