Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations
Encyclopedia
The Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations (IHAC) is a graduate research institute on ancient history, ancient languages, and achaeology at the Northeast Normal University
in Changchun
, China
(Jilin Province). The IHAC was the very first Chinese institute to establish chairs and academic research positions for Assyriology
, Hittitology, Egyptology
, and (Western) Classics (Latin and Greek Philology). The Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations was founded in 1984, after the Chinese professors Zhou Gucheng (Fudan University
), Wu Yujin (Wuhan University
), and Lin Zhichun (Northeast Normal University) jointly appealed to the Ministry of Education to establish such an institution. Since 1986, the IHAC annually publishes the Journal of Ancient Civilizations (JAC). The JAC aims to publish the work of both Chinese and international scholars dealing with history, art, archaeology
, philology
, and linguistics of the Ancient Near Eastern and Mediterranean region. The articles in this international Journal are written in either English, German, or French. Normally, the faculty staff is Chinese. But annually, three special research and teaching positions are explicitly reserved for foreign visiting professors.
Northeast Normal University
Northeast Normal University is one of the six national universities in People's Republic of China located in Changchun, Jilin.- History :Northeast Normal University is an institution of higher learning under the direct administration of the Ministry of Education, being selected as one of the...
in Changchun
Changchun
Changchun is the capital and largest city of Jilin province, located in the northeast of the People's Republic of China, in the center of the Songliao Plain. It is administered as a sub-provincial city with a population of 7,677,089 at the 2010 census under its jurisdiction, including counties and...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
(Jilin Province). The IHAC was the very first Chinese institute to establish chairs and academic research positions for Assyriology
Assyriology
Assyriology is the archaeological, historical, and linguistic study of ancient Mesopotamia and the related cultures that used cuneiform writing. The field covers the Akkadian sister-cultures of Assyria and Babylonia, together with their cultural predecessor; Sumer...
, Hittitology, Egyptology
Egyptology
Egyptology is the study of ancient Egyptian history, language, literature, religion, and art from the 5th millennium BC until the end of its native religious practices in the AD 4th century. A practitioner of the discipline is an “Egyptologist”...
, and (Western) Classics (Latin and Greek Philology). The Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations was founded in 1984, after the Chinese professors Zhou Gucheng (Fudan University
Fudan University
Fudan University , located in Shanghai, is one of the oldest and most selective universities in China, and is a member of the C9 League. Its institutional predecessor was founded in 1905, shortly before the end of China's imperial Qing dynasty...
), Wu Yujin (Wuhan University
Wuhan University
Wuhan University is a university located in Wuchang, Hubei, China. It is directly under the administration of the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China. It is regarded as one of the top ten universities in China, and its history dates back to 1893, making it one of China's...
), and Lin Zhichun (Northeast Normal University) jointly appealed to the Ministry of Education to establish such an institution. Since 1986, the IHAC annually publishes the Journal of Ancient Civilizations (JAC). The JAC aims to publish the work of both Chinese and international scholars dealing with history, art, archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
, philology
Philology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
, and linguistics of the Ancient Near Eastern and Mediterranean region. The articles in this international Journal are written in either English, German, or French. Normally, the faculty staff is Chinese. But annually, three special research and teaching positions are explicitly reserved for foreign visiting professors.
List of Chinese Scholars at IHAC
- Lin Zhichun (Founder of the IHAC)
- Wu Yuhong (Assyriology, current director of the IHAC)
- Guo Dantong (Egyptology)
List of Foreign Experts (Visiting Professors)
- Rainer Hannig, Germany (Egyptology, 1984–1987)
- Peter Beylage, Germany (Egyptology, 2002–2004, 2006- )
- Wayne Horowitz, Israel (Assyriology, 2006–2007)
- Victor Rebrik, Russia (Classics, 2002–2004)
- Marie-Francoise Besnier, France (Assyriology, 2004–2006)
- Mirco Hüneburg, Germany (Egyptology, 2004–2006)
- Oliver Wehr, Germany (Classics, 2005–2007)
List of graduates from IHAC
- Magnus Widell, Sweden (Assyriology)
- Jin Shoufu, China (Egyptology, professor at Fudan UniversityFudan UniversityFudan University , located in Shanghai, is one of the oldest and most selective universities in China, and is a member of the C9 League. Its institutional predecessor was founded in 1905, shortly before the end of China's imperial Qing dynasty...
, ShanghaiShanghaiShanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
)