European Journal of East Asian Studies

> About the journal

A group of European scholars have launched a new academic journal in the field of East Asian studies. The journal is based at the Institut d'Asie Orientale, in Lyon, and enjoys the support of nine other European research institutions. It is published and distributed by Brill (Academic Publishers). The following text provides a summary of the goals of the journal.

Europe is home to a very large community of scholars working on East Asia whose research activities cover a broad spectrum of studies, in terms of countries, periods, and disciplines. There is, however, no internationally recognised journal in Europe encompassing within its covers the whole range of East Asian studies as there is in the United States. We believe that European East Asia scholars, by virtue of their own history, intellectual traditions, and specific relations with the region, offer a different perspective to that of American scholars and make an original contribution to East Asian studies. Until now, they have been able to reach international recognition principally through publications in American journals, for which most of them compete at an obvious linguistic disadvantage. A European journal is better equipped to take into account this issue of language. It should be made clear here that we do not claim any kind of Euro-centred intellectual superiority, nor do we want to give the impression of an anti-American posture. On the contrary, we acknowledge the overwhelming contribution of American scholars to contemporary East Asian studies. The sole purpose of the initiators of this project is to create a new intellectual arena that will publish the best contributions of European scholarship on contemporary East Asia, without excluding contributions from other parts of the world. We believe in intellectual competition and stimulation. The journal will, therefore, welcome high-quality research, whatever its origin.

The journal is interdisciplinary in nature, dedicated to the publication of scholarly research across the range of the social sciences -- including sociology, geography, anthropology, economics, political science, and law -- as well as modern history. We take the term 'modern' to refer approximately to the last two hundred years. The journal makes no commitment to any particular trend in scholarly research, but it will be receptive to all the current approaches in Asian studies. Our geographical compass takes in 'East Asia' in a broad sense, that is to say the groups of countries usually included in Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines) and Northeast Asia (China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan). One of the major obstacles that has prevented the emergence of such a journal is undeniably the absence of a common language among European scholars. The initiators of this project see English as the lingua franca of East Asian studies.

The journal is devoted mainly to original research based on the first-hand study of primary materials and/or fieldwork. We also welcome theoretical essays that offer new, synthetic visions and perspectives from the field. We hope to strike a balance between coherence (to make the journal attractive to a wide readership) and spontaneity (to allow for competition and attract first-rate contributions). To this end, we will publish six papers per issue (initially with two issues per year). We are also planning a number of special themed issues, on the aftermath of the financial crisis in East Asia, the growth of mass urban cultures in the early part of the twentieth century, new religions, and bio-ethics in East Asia. Research notes are also welcome. The journal will include a section for book reviews, concentrating on significant works written by European scholars.

Christian Henriot.

Dernière modification : 23 March 2006, 12h34