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China anthropology enters new stage in global study

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-07-27 19:31

KUNMING: Chinese anthropology and ethnology studies are embracing the best times ever in development with more international exchanges and cooperation, observed experts attending a world conference opened here Monday.

The 16th World Congress of the International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences (IUAES), held for the first time in China since its inception in 1934, was described as "a milestone and a springboard" by Chinese anthropologists.

The IUAES congress, a quinquennial event, has drawn more than 2,000 scholars and experts from all over the world, who will attend 156 panel discussions to explore a broad range of issues including cultural diversities, AIDS, child trafficking, global aging, ethnicity, urban development, religions and linguistic evolution.

"It's the best chance for us to showcase our progress on anthropology and have utmost interaction with worldwide counterparts," said Hao Shiyuan, vice-chairman of the 16th congress's organizing committee.

"As China hosts the congress, worldwide scholars will pay special attention to Chinese anthropology, while Chinese scholars will have global vision," said Hao, also the director of the Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

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Luis Alberto Vargas, the IUAES President, told Xinhua in an e-mail that anthropologists from all over the world had been looking forward to the congress held in China.

"We want to know more about the development of the scientific field in China and to open doors to collaborate with our colleagues here," said Vargas. "Chinese anthropology is beginning to have its own personality, due to the nature and history of this country," Vargas added.

Calling anthropology an "import from overseas" since the beginning of past century, Dr. Tanzen Lhundup from the China Tibetology Research Center said that Chinese scholars have applied anthropology to several studies.

"Despite their disparity in theoretical framework, the Chinese and western anthropologies both stress fieldwork and the principle of objectiveness, fairness and value neutrality," Tanzen Lhundup said.

Hao Shiyuan echoed that Chinese anthropology mainly focused on application research. In one case, he said, more than 1,000 local anthropological scholars had took up fieldwork in 1950s to collect first-hand data and advise the government on the management of ethnic groups.

Many domestic scholars foresaw a rising China phenomenon in the global anthropological and ethnological study.

Zhang Haiyang, an ethnologist from the Minzu University of China and director of the Academic Office of the congress's organizing committee, said "China has one-fifth of the world's population, and is rich in ethnic,historical and cultural resources. The 'China Model' should be an interesting case for overseas anthropologists to study."

The IUAES President Vargas also agreed that China had an advance comparable to that found in the most advanced countries.

"Many anthropologists are interested in studying specific questions in China, as well as looking at the solutions that our Chinese colleagues have proposed to problems that are similar in other countries," he said.

"We are trying to focus on the human survival, the overall development and cultural diversity in the anthropological study, and we do hope the idea can be accepted in the international community," Hao said.