The Center for Asia-Pacific Studies, Tongji University was established in May 2001, and filed as a center for national/regional studies with the Ministry of Education in 2017. The Center is headed by Professor Zhong Zhenming, Associate Dean of the School of Political Science & International Relations, Tongji University.

1. Positioning

With a focus on the international relations in the Asia-Pacific region, the Center is committed to studying major issues such as major-country relations, activities of international organizations, China’s neighboring diplomacy, East Asian integration and the Belt and Road Initiative, etc. from the dimensions of strategy, security, economy and culture, with history and reality combined. It seeks to become a major think tank for Asia-Pacific studies with significant domestic and international influence.

2. Tasks and Goals

      The Center aims to:

      (1) Study the theoretical, historical and policy issues involved in the international relations in the Asia-Pacific region, to rank top five in China’s Asia-Pacific studies in terms of comprehensive strength by 2025;

      (2) Carry out research on major strategic issues in the Asia-Pacific region, and provide advice and suggestions to relevant departments of the central government and Shanghai Municipality, to become a leading advisory body in Asia-Pacific studies in China;

      (3) Make full use of the university, school and social resources, to cultivate elites familiar with international affairs and national governance strategies in the Asia-Pacific region;

      (4) Carry out domestic and international academic exchanges, to build the Center into a major network platform for those pursuing Asia-Pacific studies.

3. Development Thought

      The Center takes the international relations in the Asia-Pacific region as its research direction, with the support of research on major country strategies and international organizations in the region. Relying on Tongji’s strength in science and engineering, the Center has combined the advantages of liberal arts, science and engineering to expand cooperation with other think tanks and research institutions at home and abroad. It is working hard to promote the development of several academic forums including Global Emerging Scholar Forum, China-Japan Strategic Dialogue for Young and Middle-Aged Scholars, China-Japan Strategic and Economic Dialogue, and Shanghai-Jakarta Forum. It focuses on studying the interaction of major country strategies related to the international relations in Asia-Pacific, the construction of regional international organizations, the progress of regional integration, and major strategic and policy issues in the region, in an effort to provide better policy advice and cultivate top-notch talents.

4. Team

      The Center has a multi-disciplinary and inter-institutional research team. Our researchers have long focused their interests on major country strategies, American politics, China-US relations, and regional cooperation in East Asia and Asia-Pacific, with considerable scientific achievements and preliminary results made. There are 12 full-time researchers (including 5 professors, 4 associate professors and 3 assistant professors) and 6 part-timers, all of whom hold a PhD degree.