The Second Annual American Studies Network Conference

The United States in Times of War and Peace

June 1-3, 2005, Yunnan University

The 2005 Meeting was held in conjunction with an international American Studies conference at Yunnan University in Kunming. The conference theme was “The United States in Times of War and Peace”, and more than 80 scholars from the US and China attended.

USCET President Julia Chang Bloch’s Welcome Address to the 2005 ASN Conference:

American Studies is undergoing somewhat of a renaissance in China. Since the late 1990s, interest in learning about the United States has been growing. China’s own emergence and increasing global political and economic power in the 21st century has provided further impetus to learn about the world’s sole superpower.

The idea for the American Studies Network was born in the late 1990s, just when this surge in interest in the study of America began. The reality of the Network sprang to life in early 2004, with 22 charter members. Membership has since expanded to 25, and the Network is likely to continue growing.

Yunnan University was first in line to join the Network. The US-China Education Trust (USCET), therefore, could not have been more delighted than to award the university a grant to organize the June 2005 international conference and, also, the second annual American Studies Network meeting.

USCET created the Network to promote collaboration and cooperation among Americanists not just resident in China, but also from around the world. Yunnan University’s conference succeeded in doing just that. The selection of the theme “The United States in Times of Peace and War” attracted more than 80 Americanists representing the diverse tracks of American Studies – literature, history and US-China relations – to explore the topic. The opening session and speeches, as well as the breakout sessions for specific tracks, inspired much commentary and debate.

USCET looks forward to continuing support for such collaboration and cooperation, which hopefully will elevate American Studies in China to world class standards – providing universities with additional American Studies materials, helping to create new curricula, offering exchange opportunities, and supporting faculty development through the training of young professors.

The proceedings which follow offer examples of current Chinese scholarship in the field of American Studies. Years from now, this record may help to demonstrate the results of China’s American Studies Renaissance.


第二届美国研究联络会会议

“战争与和平时代下的美国”

2005年6月1-3日,昆明

云南大学

2005年的会议在昆明云南大学与国际美国研究会议联合举办,会议主题为“战争与和平时代下的美国”,更有超过80位来自中国和美国的学者参加。

USCET主席Julia Chang Bloch在2005年美国研究联络会会议上做了欢迎演讲:

美国研究现如今正在中国经历复兴时期。自90年代后期以来,对美国研究的兴趣在增长。中国自身的崛起以及21世纪日益上升的全球政治与经济力量为学习世界唯一的超级大国提供进一步的动力。

创立美国研究联络会这个想法最初诞生于上世纪90年代末,当人们刚开始对研究美国有兴趣的时候。联络会的真正实现实在2004年初,当时有22名成员。现如今联络会成员已经扩大到了25人,并在未来可能会继续增加。

云南大学是第一批加入联络会的。中美教育基金(USCET)因此非常高兴能授予该大学一笔赠款,用于组织2005年6月的国际会议,以及第二届美国研究网络年度会议。

USCET创立联络会是为了促进研究美国问题学者之间的合作,不仅仅是居住在中国的学者,更是来自世界各地的学者们,云南大学的会议就成功的做到了这一点。这次主题的选择”战争与和平时代下的美国”吸引了超过80名研究美国问题的学者,他们代表了文学、历史和中美关系等不一样的研究领域。开幕式、演讲以及具体分块都引起了激烈的辩论。

USCET期待继续支持这种合作,希望将在华的美国研究提升到世界级水平——为大学提供更多的美国研究材料,帮助创建新的课程,提供交流机会,并通过培训年轻教授来支持教员的发展。

接下来的程序提供了当前中国学者在美国研究领域的例子。多年后,这一记录可能有助于证明中国美国研究复兴的成果。