《Monumenta Serica Sinological Research Center》

Video for Introduction

1935 the Divine Word missionary and German sinologist Franz Xaver Biallas (1878-1936) decided to establish a scholarly sinological journal to replace a former periodical of Fu Jen University in Peking. Since then “Monumenta Serica. Journal of Oriental Studies” was born, and a respective institute took the same name. Monumenta Serica is a Latin expression with the meaning –“Chinese relics” or “the records of Chinese culture”. 

At that time the president of Fu Jen University Chen Yuan (1880-1971) considered the appearance of the journal as a very important event, and himself chose a Chinese name for it – Hua-yi with the meaning “China and her neighbouring countries.”

Since its establishment “Monumenta Serica” had a very peculiar historical development. In 1949 it was moved to Japan, first to Tokyo, and then the Nanzan University in Nagoya, run by the Society of the Divine Word. In response to the invitation of University of California in Los Angeles, the institute was moved to the Linguistics Department of this university in 1963. In 1972 the institute was moved again, this time to St. Augustin (near Bonn/Germany), where first was a part of the ethnological Institute 《Anthropos》, and later it became an independent unit.

On August 1, 2002 Fu Jen Catholic University and the Institute Monumenta Serica founded together at the College of Foreign Languages and Literature “Monumenta Serica Sinological Research Center”. This establishment has its historical meaning and anew marks an intimate relationship between the Institute Monumenta Serica, run by the Society of the Divine Word, and Fu Jen Catholic University. This cooperation helps the university to achieve its goals, serving to facilitate cultural exchange between China and the West and a dialogue and mutual growth of Chinese culture and Christian faith.

Special features of the Center:

1. to further the exchange between Chinese and Western cultures

2. to raise level of knowledge, understanding and appreciation of Chinese culture in the West

3. to strengthen a cooperation with Taiwanese scholars in Chinese studies

4. to support a dialogue and mutual growth of Chinese culture and Christian faith

5. to strengthen the cooperation between the Institute Monumenta Serica, run by the Society of the Divine Word, with Fu Jen Catholic University refounded on Taiwan, and thus to renew their historical ties