Chinese studies is the study of Chinese language, culture and society in its many expressions from the beginnings of Chinese civilisation in the late Neolithic period to the present day in the 21st Century. Like most European academic disciplines that have dealt more intensely with cultures outside of Europe since the 16th Century, Chinese studies was traditionally primarily a philological discipline. Despite increasing specialisation since the 20th Century, the competent handling of classical and modern texts in Chinese and its varieties remains the foundation of all Chinese studies courses. While the acquisition of Chinese writing in particular requires a certain amount of effort, both classical Chinese and modern oral Standard Chinese is easily learnable with some time expenditure (despite the widespread belief to the contrary). These languages provide irreplaceable direct access to the manifold manifestations of Chinese culture in philosophical, literary, historical, religious and aesthetic dimensions.
Three universities in Switzerland have a number of specialist teachers of modern Chinese. The Chinese Studies departments of Asia Studies institutes in Geneva and Zurich, as well as Chinese teachers at the University of St. Gallen offer challenging classes that make use of their own course materials and modern electronic aids. Specific courses also prepare students for Chinese Proficiency Tests in the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Taiwan, which can be taken at both universities. Additionally, there are numerous opportunities for study abroad in the People’s Republic of China and in Taiwan. In Switzerland, an impressive number of government scholarships are available each year, which are awarded through swissuniversities (CRUS). Student numbers are growing, though they remain low in comparison to popular subjects such as Economics, Law or Psychology, meaning it is usually possible to have very close contact between students and lecturers.
Depending on specialisations and the issues being studied, Chinese Studies utilises a variety of methods from the humanities and social sciences, which provide for a systematic approach. In contrast to “purely” theoretical subjects (Politics, Geography, Sociology, etc.), which touch on subjects related to China, access to texts and media (e.g. films or images) in Chinese provides a further level of cultural discussion and academic rigour. Given the long, though not entirely uninterrupted history of the Chinese civilisation, a thorough understanding of history and traditions is indispensable for evaluating modern phenomena, while modern cultural discussions serve as reference points for competent contextualisation of the past. In the age of globalisation, though this was also the case in pre-modern times, China cannot be understood as one single entity shut off from the outside world but must always be considered against the background of its links with the Asiatic cultures surrounding it, Central Asia and Europe.
Chinese studies is often sufficiently intercultural or transcultural in its approach that, when included in a general cultural studies programme, such as that at the University of St. Gallen, in contributes to furthering the intercultural skills of social and business studies students. Here, knowledge of modern, contemporary and premodern Chinese culture, literature, media, history and politics can be gained and furthered. The curriculum at St. Gallen, with its broad, humanities approach, is different to pure language courses, such as those that have been offered at the universities of Basel, Bern and Lausanne and the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich’s shared Language Centre for many years and which are partly integrated into the curricula of subjects such as social anthropology, religious studies, general linguistics, etc.
The multitude of potential study areas is reflected in the diverse specialisations of Chinese studies chairs in Switzerland (see the individual institute descriptions below). While the career prospects of Chinese studies students are currently very satisfying, it is difficult to point to a fixed career description for graduates. In addition to “traditional” jobs in the university and education sector, depending on the student’s specialisation and minor combination, there are a number of career options in business, the civil service, within international organisations, in the media and at foundations or non-governmental organisations. Numerous fields present opportunities to employ the language, analytical and academic skills gained while studying Chinese studies; some fields may only have a distant connection to China. What is often more relevant is a personal interest in the subjects and research topics.
Chinese studies – Study options
The following table lists the locations of Chinese Studies institutes in Switzerland and the courses they offer, including related fields.
- University of Geneva, Unité des Études Chinoises
- University of Zurich, Asien-Orient-Institut, Chinese Studies
- University of St Gall, Chinese Culture and Society