World Association for Chinese Studies

Bridging Scholars Worldwide at the Crossroads of Europe

The premier global platform for Chinese Studies research and academic collaboration

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About WACS

The Premier Global Platform for Chinese Studies Since 2016

Global Network

~2,000 scholars from 48+ countries connecting across continents for groundbreaking Chinese Studies research.

Academic Independence

Registered non-profit maintaining strict academic freedom while fostering international cooperation.

Europe as Hub

Strategic meetings in Europe save travel costs and reduce environmental impact for global participants.

9th World Conference

July 2-5, 2025 | Berlin, Germany

Join 500+ scholars from 50+ countries for the most comprehensive Chinese Studies conference

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WACS in Action

Moments from our global conferences

WACS Conference

8th World Conference - Prague 2023

Over 450 participants from 48 countries

WACS Scholars

International Scholars Network

Building bridges across continents

Governance & Leadership

Democratically elected board serving the global Chinese Studies community

Current Board (2022-2026)

Executive Board - Elected August 12, 2022

  • President:
    Prof. Dr. Martin Woesler
    Legal representative since 2016, re-elected 2022
  • Vice President:
    Prof. Dr. Daniel A. Fried
    University of Alberta, Canada
  • General Secretary:
    Prof. Dr. Sam Crane
    Williams College, USA
  • Treasurer:
    Prof. Dr. Richard Trappl
    University of Vienna, Austria
  • Board Member:
    Asst. Prof. Dr. Tiffany Tsai
    The Citadel, USA
  • VP for Outreach (Honorary):
    Margaret Chu
    Appointed 2024

Democratic Governance

General Assembly & Elections
  • August 12, 2022
    General Assembly re-election
    Current board elected for 2022-2026 term
  • August 21, 2018
    Special General Assembly Vienna
    Election of Vice President Richard Trappl
  • August 19, 2017
    First General Assembly
    108 members present, 66 voting participants
Legal Foundation
  • Founded:
    September 24, 2016
    Inaugural ceremony broadcasted to 36 countries
  • Registration:
    Bochum Court, Germany (No. 4778)
    Non-profit status: Tax No. 350/5702/8186
  • Membership:
    ~2,000 scholars worldwide
    Active in research groups and conferences

Honorary Presidents & Management Board

Honorary Presidents
  • Prof. Dr. Dr. Harro von Senger (Switzerland)
  • Prof. Shang Wei (United States)
  • Prof. Edward L. Shaughnessy (USA)
  • Prof. Helwig Schmidt-Glintzer (Germany)
  • Prof. Louise P. Edwards (Australia)
  • Prof. Kam Louie (Australia)
  • Prof. Marián Gálik (Slovakia)
  • Prof. Ye Jiaying (Canada)
  • Prof. Oldřich Král † (Czech Republic, d. 2018)
  • Prof. Rao Zongyi † (Hong Kong, d. 2017)
Management Board
National Association Presidents:
  • Alena Pavlova (Russia)
  • Yevhenii Hobova (Ukraine)
  • Martin Woesler (Germany)
  • Rommel Banlaoi (Philippines)
Board Members:
  • Prof. Xu Jianping (China)
  • Prof. Dr. Karl-Heinz Pohl
  • Dr. Yu Hong
  • Prof. Zhou Wenye
  • You Tianwei

Historical Board Members

Previous Terms
Board Members 2018-2022
  • Vice President & Secretary: Prof. Dr. Richard Trappl (elected Aug 21, 2018)
  • Vice President & Cashier: Dr. Thomas Weyrauch (appointed Sep 25, 2018)
Management Committee 2017-2018
  • Mu Zhai (Wang Hong), Park Jae-Woo, Wang Zhaopeng
  • Term ended September 24, 2018

Research & Scholarship

Advancing Chinese Studies through rigorous academic research

Research Areas

  • Classical Chinese Literature & Philosophy
  • Modern & Contemporary Chinese Studies
  • Chinese History & Archaeology
  • Chinese Linguistics & Language Education
  • Chinese Art & Cultural Studies
  • Comparative Literature & Translation Studies
  • Digital Humanities & Chinese Studies

Academic Awards

WACS awards prizes for outstanding achievements in science, research and teaching:

  • Best Dissertation Award in Chinese Studies
  • Outstanding Research Publication Award
  • Lifetime Achievement Award
  • Young Scholar Excellence Award
  • Best Conference Paper Award

Membership

Join the global community of Chinese Studies scholars

Individual Member

For scholars and researchers

  • ✓ Conference discounts
  • ✓ Free publications
  • ✓ Voting rights
  • ✓ Network access

Institutional Member

For universities and institutes

  • ✓ Multiple representatives
  • ✓ Institutional benefits
  • ✓ Conference hosting priority
  • ✓ Partnership opportunities

Patron Member

Supporting excellence

  • ✓ All member benefits
  • ✓ Special recognition
  • ✓ Exclusive events
  • ✓ Lifetime options available
Download Membership Application

Publications

Disseminating cutting-edge research in Chinese Studies

WACS Journal "Han-Xue"

The official journal of WACS publishing peer-reviewed articles on all aspects of Chinese Studies.

  • Quarterly publication
  • International editorial board
  • Open access options
  • Conference special issues

Academic Journals Network

WACS partners with leading journals in Chinese Studies:

Recent Publications

  • Critical Editions of Classical Texts
  • Translation Series
  • Conference Volumes
  • Monograph Series
  • Digital Humanities Projects
  • Anthology Collections

Contact Us

Get in touch with WACS

Email

General Inquiries:
info@china-studies.com

Membership:
membership@china-studies.com

Registered Office

Germany (Legal Seat):
Bochum Court
Registration No. 4778
Tax No. 350/5702/8186

c/o Universität Witten/Herdecke
LS Prof. Martin
Arbeitsbereich China-Kompetenz

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