Division of International Relations Studies
History
The international relations studies for West Asia and Africa was affiliated to Middle East Studies and African Studies sec-tions from 1961 to 1991. In 1994, the Division on International Rel-ations Studies was established due to strengthen the studies of the situation in this area. In 1998, there was a big change in the structure and studies focuses, which put more importance to applied research and basic research. In 2003, the Division on International Relations Studies for West Asia
and Africa became the key discipline of Chinese Academy of Social Science (CASS). In 2012, CASS launched the innovation projects. The scholars in the Division became the leading members for the Studies of Middle East Hot Spot Issues and China’s Strategy, and Big Powers in Africa and China’s Strategy towards Africa. Professor Liu Jinghua was the director when the Division was first established in 1994. The leading members in the Division include professor Zhang Xiaodong (director), He Wenping (vice director) and Zhang Yongpeng (vice director). Professor Wang Lincong is the current director and Wang Feng is the deputy director.
Major Fields of Studies
The main research area of the Division is inter-national relations in the region, relations between big powers and the Middle- East and Africa, big power rivalry in the Middle -East and Africa, new emerging powers relations with countries in this region, Islam and international relations, and the role of the regional organizations in international relations. Issues of importance to international peace and security, such as religion, ethnicity and trends of ideology are also topics of concern.
Staff
Presently there are 11 permanent full-time staff members in the Division with Dr. Wang Lincong, Professor, as the Director; and Dr. Wang Feng, Associated Professor, as the Deputy Director. The other 9 members include: Dr. Zhang Xiaodong, Professor; Ms. Liu Yueqin, Professor; Dr. Zhang Yongpeng, Associated Professor; Mr. Wang Jian, Associated Professor; Dr. Wu Chuanhua, Assistant Research Fellow; Dr. Zhang Bo, Assistant Research Fellow; Dr. Liu Zhongwei, Assistant Research Fellow; Dr. Xu Guoqing, Assistant Research Fellow; and Dr. Liu Dong, Assistant Research Fellow. Each member of the Division has his/her own specialty.
Major Publications
Zhang Xiaodong, Islam and the World After the Cold War, BeiJing: Social Sciences Academic Press, 1999.
Liu Jinghua & Zhang Xiaodong, Modern Politics and Islam, BeiJing: Social Sciences Academic Press, 2000.
Yin Gang, Conflicts between Arab and Israel, Problems and the Way Out, BeiJing: International Culture Press, 2002.
Liu Yueqin, The International Relations of the Gulf Region After the Cold War, [monograph] BeiJing: Social Sciences Academic Press, 2002.
Tang Baocai, Big Powers and the Gulf After the Cold War, [monograph] BeiJing: The Contemporary Press, 2002.
Tang Baocai, The Middle East and Iraq War, BeiJing: The Contemporary Press, 2007.
Wang Lincong, The Democratization of the Middle East, [monograph] BeiJing: Chinese Social Science Press,2007.
Wang Feng, Afghanistan, [monograph] BeiJing: Social Science Press,2007.
Liu Yueqin, Iraq, BeiJing: [monograph] Social Sciences Academic Press, 2007.
Liu Yueqin, Iraq,the Hometown of the Garden of Eden, [monograph] Hong Kong: City Unversity, 2010.
Tang Baocai, The Islamic World:Today and Tomorrow, BeiJing: Chinese Social Science Press,2010.
Wang Jian, Madagascar, [monograph] BeiJing: Social Sciences Academic Press, 2011.
Academic Exchanges
The Division has held many international and domestic conferences and international exchanges. The scholars in the Division have visited dozens of countries, including USA, Japan, Egland, Holland, France, Germany and most countries in the Middle East and Africa. Our scholars also emerge a lot on the government conferences and on mass media as well.
Teaching
There are many supervisors in the Division, include two supervisors for PhD (professor Zhang Xiaodong and professor Wang Lincong; three supervisors for the master degree (professor Liu Yueqin, associate professor Zhang Yongpeng, and associate professor Wang Feng). We have various courses for students, such as Islam and the Middle East, international relations in the Middle East, international relations in Africa, the Middle East Politics.
