Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations
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 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 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 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, late director)
- Zhang Qiang (Classics, director)
- Guo Dantong (Egyptology)
- Li Xiaodong (Egyptology)
List of foreign experts (visiting professors)
| Egyptology | Classics | Assyriology | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984-1987 | Rainer Hannig (Germany) | ||
| 1987-1997 | Ruth Taylor-Briggs (UK) (1994-5) | ||
| 1997-1998 | Sheldon Lee Gosline (USA) | Antony Keen (UK) Lester Ness (USA) | Farouk Al-Rawi (Iraq/UK) |
| 1998-2002 | |||
| 2002-2004 | Peter Beylage (Germany) | Victor Rebrik (Russia) | |
| 2004-2006 | Mirco Hüneburg (Germany) | Marie-Francoise Besnier (France) | |
| 2006-2008 | Peter Beylage (Germany) 2006-2011 | Oliver Wehr (Germany) 2005-2007 | Wayne Horowitz (Israel) 2006-2007 |
| 2008-2009 | Juan Pablo Sanchez Hernandez (Spain)2009-2014 | ||
| 2009-2010 | Nicolas Gailhard (France) | ||
| 2013-2014 | Kim Ridealgh (UK) | Elizabeth Wheat (UK) | |
| 2014-2015 | Åke Engsheden (Sweden) | Sven Günther (Roman History and Latin Language; Germany)
Matylda Obryk (Greek History and Language; Germany/Poland) |
Alvise Matessi (Italy) |
List of graduates from IHAC
- Magnus Widell, Sweden (Assyriology)
- Jin Shoufu, China (Egyptology, professor at Fudan University, Shanghai)