1. General Objectives

IASZNU (Institute of African Studies, Zhejiang Normal University) aims to build itself into a state-level institution of African Studies featuring academic research, personnel cultivation, international exchanges and policy-consulting. It plans to step up strenuous and serious efforts in the coming years to construct academic ideas, establish its own academic school, pursue academic characteristics, forge academic brand and cultivate a team of academics to position itself as a dynamic first-class institution with comprehensive disciplines and an advanced administrative structure.

IASZNU aims to serve the country and the society with its scholarship and make contributions to the overall development of Sino-African relations in the 21st Century and the elevation of the international standing and influence of China African studies.


2. Key Academic Projects

Concentrating on the over-arching topics of Contemporary African Development Issues and Contemporary Sino-African Relations, faculty members of the three research offices under IASZNU will work collaboratively to study how Africa can solve its development problems and the implications of Sino-African relations for the development of both sides and the transformation of the world system. IASZNU aims to forge its own academic ideas and individualistic brand as a research institution.


3. Style of Scholarship

Maintaining Topmost Aspirations and Putting Roots Deep into the Ground: to inspire the scholars at IASZNU to strive for distinguished academic performances through strenuous and down-to-earth research work.


4. Ideals of Scholarship

Passion for Africa, Chinese Characteristics and Global Perspective: to develop a passion for the African continent, and encourage the scholars to set African studies as a life-time career; to maintain Chinese characteristics of African studies by taking in wisdom from the Chinese culture; to understand Sino-African relations and African issues from a broad-minded global perspective.


5. Strategy of Scholarship

Incorporating Research with Application, Putting Equal Emphasis on the Construction of Disciplines and Social Demand: to take into account research and the construction of disciplines, and to follow closely national strategy and social demand, while maintaining dynamic balance.


6. Phases of Construction

Three years of start-up (2007-2010), Eight Years of Growth (2011-2015), Ten Years of Consolidation: IASZNU aims to realize basic goals and set a new path for sustainable development in ten years’ time.


7. Short-term Tasks (2008-2010)

The years from 2008-2010 is the start-up period of IASZNU, it will use the time to achieve a good beginning to lay a solid foundation for future development.

1) Construction of Disciplines

a. To set up the organizational structure of IASZNU, and create the three research offices respectively for African political and international relations studies, African Economic Studies and African Educational and Cultural Studies;

b. To draw up the development plan, set Contemporary African Development Issues and Contemporary Sino-African Relations as the overarching topics for the research of the three offices;

c. Each faculty member launches his/her own research project in a specific field/topic of African studies;

d. To incorporate resources at ZNU and promote the study of African tourism, resources, communications, art, music, literature and the teaching of Chinese language as a foreign language, to achieve the comprehensive development of disciplines.

2) Academic Research

a. To conduct compilation of the ZNU African Studies Series, to publish the first two series;

b. To publish 100 papers on key Chinese and foreign journals;

c. To compile and publish the IASZNU’s flagship journal, African Studies;

d. To get 10+ above-provincial-level projects;

e. To draw up 5+ reports for the application of relevant parties and provide consulting for enterprises.

3) Platform for Cooperation

a. To facilitate academic exchanges and cooperation on a high-level platform, solicit support from relevant government organs and seek joint construction programs;

b. To step up efforts to make IASZNU a key research base under the joint construction of Zhejiang Provincial Government (ZPG), the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and the Ministry of Education;

c. To facilitate joint construction of IASZNU under ZPG and CASS;

d. To strengthen cooperative ties with the Institute of West Asian and African Studies, the Institute of World Economics and Politics (both under CASS), the Institute of International Relations at the Chinese Foreign Affairs University, the Center of African Studies at Peking University, the China National Association for International Studies and the Chinese Society of African Historical Studies.

4) Academic Exchanges

a. To promote internationalization of the faculty of IASZNU and strengthen cooperation with African higher-learning institutions;

b. To expand the exchange program supported by the Chinese Scholarship Council by sending annually 5 faculty members and 5 graduate students to African countries;

c. To invite distinguished Chinese and foreign scholars as guest professors, concurrent researchers or advisors for the advancement of IASZNU’s undertakings in research and book compilation;

d. To host 1-2 national and/or international conferences.

5) Team Building

a. To build a contingent of researchers with high degrees and high professional titles;

b. To increase the number of research faculty to 25 by 2010, with 90 of whom having doctoral degrees, 5 with professorship and 10 with associate professorship;

c. attract Chinese and foreign talent to produce 3-5 leading academic personnel and 5-10 key scholars.

6) Graduate Programs

a. To upgrade the education of graduate students in the disciplines of African historical studies and comparative education, and to open new programs in the disciplines of international relations and world economics;

b. To steadily expand the scale of and improve the quality of graduate education, and to open 10-15 graduate courses;

c. To expand cooperation in the field of graduate education with African higher-learning institutions;

d. To perfect graduate supervision system and cultivate the innovative and practical abilities of graduate students.

7) Administration

a. To explore a sustainable administration system based on human-oriented ideas, to optimize work affecting personnel, foreign, financial and trade union affairs;

b. To create a atmosphere with positive competition, to perfect the testing system of the performances of faculty and staff, and of the graduate students;

c. To optimize the two-tier administrative system of institute and offices, to strengthen the construction of the administrative office, the institute library, the Africa Investment and Trade Consulting Center and the African Art and Media Production Center;

d. To improve the environment and working conditions;

e. To construct the information management platform, to perfect the institute website and upgrade work relating to foreign affairs and publicity.

No. 688, Yingbin Avenue, Jin


No. 688, Yingbin Avenue, Jinhua, Zhejiang, China

Postal Code: 321004

Phone: 0579-82286091(Office)

Fax: 0579-82286091

Email: ias@zjnu.cn