The institute of World History Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

moreResearch Fields and Tasks

IWH covers a wide range of research fields with the focus on the world history since the 16th century, while also promotes studies of the ancient and mediaeval history．In addition to the study of histories of individual countries. IWH has been doing cross-period，cross-regional and trans-national researches，exploring the patterns in the development of human society, especially the unity and diversity，and historical experiences in the political, economic and cultural developments of nations in the world since the 1 6th century．Scholars of the institute also study historiography and developments of methodology．

moreInstitution

IWH has nearly 90 research and administrative staffs in all，including 45 senior research fellows and 26 associate research fellows.

The Section of Historical Materialism and Foreign Historiography

In May 1983, the meeting of national historical discipline for the “Sixth Five Years Plan” decided to establish a group of historical theory within the national historical discipline, in order to regulate the research of historical theory and historiography all over China. This group should be put into the charge of Institute of World History, Institute of Modern History and Institute of History, and its main purpose is to promote the study of historical theory. Soon afterwards, Institute of World History set up a group for the study of historical theory, whose task is to...
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The Section of Ancient and Medieval History

The section was established in 1978, aiming to do research on ancient and medieval history from primitive society to approximate the sixteenth century. Now we have 10 research fellows in these fields. Our research covers institutional study of primitive society, Assyriology, Egyptology, Hittitology, ancient Greek and Roman history, ancient Japanese history, ancient Korean history, medieval European history, etc. Our faculty can communicate fluently with foreign scholars in English, German, French, Japanese, etc. Our staffs can also use several ancient...
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The Section of Russian and Eastern European History

The Section of Russian and Eastern European Studies mainly does research on Russian history and the history of Eastern European countries. Our specific subjects political, economic, cultural and diplomatic history of Russia, the histories of Hungary, Bulgaria, Poland, Romania and former Yugoslavia, as well as the history of the Communist Movement.The section was set up in 1982. It has undertaken many national key projects and has published collective academic monographs such as An Outline of the History of the USSR (1917-1937)...
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The Section of West European and North American History

As one of the earliest research sections, it was established in 1964. Currently, the main research focuses are modern and contemporary history of America, UK, France, Germany, Canada and Spain. The famous world historian, professor Huang Shaoxiang，worked here, and some of the first generation of world history researchers trained in the People’s Republic of China, such as Zhang Chunnian, Liao Xuesheng, Cheng Xijun, Sun Chengmu, Wang Zhende, Zhang Haitao, Zhu Guisheng, Zhou Jianqin, etc., also worked here...
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The Section of Asian，African and Latin American History

Established in 1964, the Section of Asian, African and Latin American History is one of the oldest sections in the IWH. It was bifurcated into Section of Asian and African History and Section of Latin American History for a time. Several renowned historians of world history, such as Prof. Chen Hongjin and Prof. Wan Feng, used to work here. Our section also gathered a good proportion of experts and scholars of world history trained by China, such as Sa Na, Liu Ling, Feng Hongzhi, Qiu Liben, Lu Guojun, Hao Mingwei, Huang Sijun, Zhu Kerou, Wang Tong, Tang...
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The Section of Interdisciplinary Studies of World History

The Section of Interdisciplinary Studies of World History is mainly involved in the study covering second grade subjects and third grade subjects in the fields of World History, especially comprehensive and monographic research concerning different nations, areas, ages and fields. At present, the Section focuses on the exploration of macroscopic and extensive issues, aiming to provoke academic interest in significant realistic and theoretic questions, and expand our staffs’ knowledge of philosophical, social and natural sciences...
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The Editorial 0ffice Of WORLD HISTORY

The Editorial of World History was established in 1979. Its former editors-in-chief are Chunnian Zhang, Tingguang Zhu, Zhihua Chen and Xuesheng Liao in succession. Its associate editors-in-chief are Zhihua Chen,Qineng Chen, Congnan Tang, Yongxing Shen, Wenhong Zhao and Li Zhang in succession.

Current editor-in-chief: Shunhong Zhang
Current associate editor-in-chief: Zairong Xu

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The Library and the Website

The IHW library is a professional library in World History, and has a collection of more than 100,000 volumes of books and 20,000 issues of periodicals in Chinese, English, Russian, French, German, Latin, Greek, Japanese, Arabian, Korean, Vietnamese and other languages(32 in a11). In addition, the library holds some audio—video materials on the world history.

It has the modern equipment and service for research works, its cataloging and searching are computerized. The library has established the exchange relations with more than 10 foreign academic institutions.

IHW has its website World History Research of China (http://iwh.cass.cn/), which issues the news and the research works of IWH, and reports the important academic activities home and abroad, and links with some websites of universities and research institutions.

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The Office of Scientific Research Management

The IHW library is a professional library in World History, and has a collection of more than 100,000 volumes of books and 20,000 issues of periodicals in Chinese, English, Russian, French, German, Latin, Greek, Japanese, Arabian, Korean, Vietnamese and other languages(32 in a11). In addition, the library holds some audio—video materials on the world history.

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The Administrative office

The IHW library is a professional library in World History, and has a collection of more than 100,000 volumes of books and 20,000 issues of periodicals in Chinese, English, Russian, French, German, Latin, Greek, Japanese, Arabian, Korean, Vietnamese and other languages(32 in a11). In addition, the library holds some audio—video materials on the world history.

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