Comparative Reading and Research Experience: Based on the research on "Theory and Practice of Regional Country Studies: Exploration Based on Peking University" and "Regional Country Studies: History, Theory and Methodology".
Author/Guo Mengyang
Trainees of the 13th Grand Diplomacy Youth Development and Practice Sailing Project Class
Studied at the School of Foreign Chinese of Chinese University
Source: Grand Diplomacy Youth Think Tank (GDYT)
Editor's note: This article is a reflection on the study and practice of the 13th Grand Diplomacy Youth Development and Practice Navigation Project Class of the Grand Diplomacy Youth Think Tank (GDYT).
As an interdisciplinary field, the development of regional and country studies in China has a specific historical background and academic needs. At a time when the world is undergoing major changes unseen in a century, China is accelerating the pace of all-round opening-up and moving closer to the center of the stage of global governance. In this context, it is the mission of the times that we are facing and must fulfill to promote interdisciplinary development, promote regional and country studies, and serve national strategies.
China is stepping into the world, but one of the obstacles is that it does not understand the world, does not seem to understand the situation in foreign countries, and does not even know anything about some countries and regions. If China wants to play a global role or solve the new problems it faces as it goes global, it cannot do it without understanding the world. The so-called understanding is not the minimum knowledge of common sense or fur trivialities, but the comprehension on the basis of academic research, which is clear and transparent like the palm of the hand, and is the comprehensive grasp of roots, branches, leaves and stems. When a person gestures, whatever he thinks in his head will be unconsciously revealed. Our understanding of the world requires a depth of understanding of the world, in which we can see the roots of thought, culture, and society in the appearance of any person's behavior, and thus understand the purpose of the person – and this depth is provided by regional and country studies.
In the book "Theory and Practice of Regional and Country Studies: Explorations Based on Peking University", the editorial board of Peking University's Regional and Country Studies has repeatedly pointed out that it is a field that includes many disciplines, and that it is an interdisciplinary field, and only by conducting interdisciplinary research can we truly and comprehensively understand all countries and regions in the world. Therefore, the requirements for regional and country studies will be very high, and it is only possible to do a true "regional and country study" if multidisciplinary and high-level experts work together. None of the disciplines in the existing discipline catalogue can support this field alone, and only by working together can we achieve the goal. There is only one common denominator in multidisciplinary research, that is, to observe and discuss the problems related to a country or region from different angles and dimensions.
Regional country studies have also been around the world for a long time. The so-called regional and country studies are the study of other countries and extraterritorial regions. In the early days, the European powers occupied the colonies and ruled these places, and they needed to know about the colonies, so there were people who focused on these places and studied various problems. It was in this context that the first "regional and country studies" emerged, and the so-called "Oriental studies" and "Egyptology" were the results of this. The results of the early research were most notable in Britain and France, because these two countries once held the largest colonial empires. Although at that time, there was no concept of "area and country studies", but the characteristics of the field of research have begun to emerge, one of the important characteristics is its interdisciplinarity: it does not belong to a specific discipline, but the joint efforts of multiple disciplines, such as ethnology, anthropology, religion, linguistics, naturalism, etc., can display their research talents in this field and fully grow. It is in this context that the West's holistic study of the world emerged.
After the end of World War II, in the face of the surging national liberation movement and the need for the United States to dominate the world, area and country studies officially appeared in the United States as a field of study, and soon spread to Western academic circles. The background of the times is very clear, that is, the West needs to understand those regions and understand the newly independent countries. The intent of understanding is to develop new strategies to deal with a whole new world. "Area and country studies" are most fully developed in the United States, just as colonial studies were most prevalent in Britain and France in the 18th and 19th centuries. Like Britain and France in the 18th and 19th centuries, regional and country studies in the United States in the 20th century are also interdisciplinary studies, and the most famous regional and country research centers in the United States (such as the East Asian Studies Center of Harvard University, the Fairbank Center) are all academic bases for interdisciplinary and comprehensive research on a certain region or a certain country. The results of the three-dimensional research are thoroughly understood, which reflects the academic ability and research level of this base, and arouses the great attention of the society.
Therefore, the novelty of the "regional and country studies" that emerged in the United States (and the entire Western academic community) after World War II is not that it has opened up a new "discipline", but that it has formed a new platform on which various disciplines (including humanities, social sciences, and even science, engineering, medicine, and agriculture) can cooperate with each other as long as they have a common research object (referring to a geographical object, that is, a certain country or a certain region). Support each other, work together to do research on this country or this region, and finally put together a "hologram" of this country or this region, so as to provide knowledge and academic basis for the formulation of relevant policies.
Regional country studies have their origins in the need to understand the outside world. In the course of the expansion of the capitalist system and the advancement of colonial activities, Western countries have increased their understanding of non-European regions, thus promoting the development of this field. In the process of reform, opening up and modernization, China's regional country studies have gradually emerged with the improvement of the country's foreign relations and international status. In recent years, China's regional and country studies have developed rapidly, especially in the context of the Belt and Road Initiative, which has put forward new requirements for research and talent training in this field.
The development of regional and country studies personnel is aimed at meeting the needs of the country's socio-economic development and cooperation with other countries in the world. Chinese universities have actively explored regional and country studies, such as Peking University and other universities, through an interdisciplinary international training model, strengthening the combination of language skills and multidisciplinary knowledge, and are committed to cultivating professionals who can deeply understand and study specific countries or regions. This means that students not only need to study the language of a specific country or region in depth, but also need to master the knowledge of history, politics, economics, culture, and other disciplines. This model helps students develop a comprehensive and pluralistic perspective to better understand and study the target country or region.
In the book Theory and Practice of Regional Country Studies: An Exploration Based on Peking University, the theoretical framework for the cultivation of regional country studies talents is discussed, and how these theories can be implemented in the context of Peking University. This section emphasizes the integration of theory and practice, and how to develop professionals who can deeply understand and study a particular country or region through the education system. In the process of talent training, Peking University emphasizes the combination of theoretical knowledge and practical application. Students not only learn theoretical knowledge, but also have the opportunity to participate in practical activities such as field research and international exchange, so as to improve their practical skills and research level. In terms of teaching methods, Peking University advocates a positivist research method. This means that students are encouraged to conduct objective, scientific research through fieldwork, data analysis, etc. This approach helps students develop a rigorous research attitude and the ability to analyze problems scientifically. While cultivating talents with an international perspective, Peking University also focuses on cultivating students' local awareness. Students are encouraged to gain a deeper understanding of China's national strategy and cultural characteristics in the context of globalization, so as to better represent and disseminate China's voice in international exchanges. In addition to the acquisition of professional knowledge and skills, Peking University also pays attention to the cultivation of students' comprehensive qualities, including critical thinking, innovation ability, teamwork ability, etc. These qualities are very important for students in their future academic studies or careers. Peking University's talent training model reflects the comprehensive and diversified demand for regional and country studies professionals, aiming to cultivate high-quality talents who can serve the national strategy in the context of globalization. In addition, the book also presents the research situation of different countries and regions, such as European studies and regional studies with Japanese characteristics, which provide practical application scenarios and references for talent training, from theory to practice to specific cases, providing profound insights and guidance for the cultivation of regional and country research talents.
Regional and country studies is a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary field, involving theories and methods from multiple disciplines such as history, philosophy, anthropology, sociology, and political science. The research in this field focuses not only on history, culture, political, economic, social and social systems, but also on the theory and practice of global and regional development processes. This multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approach allows researchers to conduct in-depth analyses of research objects from different perspectives and levels. Positivist research methods play an important role in regional and country studies. This means that researchers need to conduct objective and scientific research through field investigations, data analysis, etc. This approach helps researchers develop a rigorous research attitude and the ability to analyze problems scientifically. At the same time, regional country studies not only focus on the construction of theoretical knowledge, but also emphasize the combination of theoretical knowledge and practical application. Through field research and other methods, researchers can better understand the application and verification of theories in actual situations. Regional and country studies emphasize an in-depth understanding of history, culture, politics, economic and social systems, as well as the theory and practice of global and regional development processes. This correlation helps researchers better understand the historical context and current situation of the research object. In the context of globalization, regional country studies need to integrate multiple perspectives, including international and local perspectives. This fusion of multiple perspectives helps researchers to understand and analyze the research object more comprehensively and deeply.
In summary, the theories and methods of regional and country studies reflect the characteristics of multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, positivism, the combination of theory and practice, the correlation between history and reality, and the integration of multiple perspectives. These characteristics enable regional country studies to comprehensively and deeply understand and analyze the research objects, and provide strong support for national strategic needs and academic research.
In general, the development of regional country studies in China is interdisciplinary, practical, and empirical, aiming to cultivate high-quality talents who can adapt to the national strategic needs in the context of globalization. In the context of the new era, strengthening regional and country studies will make greater contributions to the common development of the mainland and other countries in the world. Through in-depth study of the characteristics of a particular country or region, it is possible to enhance the country's influence in the international arena and create favorable conditions for national development.
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