The Beijing Center for Chinese Studies
The Beijing Center for Chinese Studies (or TBC), originally The Beijing Center for Language and Culture, was established by Fr. Ron Anton in 1998. TBC educates the academic community about China. It offers programs for undergraduate students, faculty members, and administrators, plus programs for special academic groups.
About TBC
The initial focus of TBC was on undergraduate study-abroad in China. TBC introduced:
- language training,
- content courses,
- immersion experience with Chinese students which included host students, language tutors, roommates and home-stay opportunities,
- educational travel within China.
The Beijing Center offers 75 courses each year across 13 fields of study, all taught in English.
When first entering the TBC Beijing location at the Beijing University of International Business and Economics, there is a replica of an old Beijing alleyway or “Hutong”. There is a water garden featuring 4,000 years of Chinese water jars, the conference room displays original copies of western maps of China from 1584 to 1745, and the director’s office replicates an old Ming scholar’s studio.
ChinaContact
The ChinaContact division runs short-term, non-credit programs all year long. Several times a year there are programs for faculty members and for university administrators including programs for university presidents. There are workshops and courses for undergraduate classes, MBA groups, and graduate humanities classes.
TBC Research Center
TBC Research Center specializes in supporting primary source research and helping young Chinese scholars in the doctoral or post-doc years. The center’s scholar-in-residence helps TBC students with academic projects during their stay in Beijing.
TBC Library of Chinese Studies
TBC Library of Chinese Studies houses a collection of 18,000 English-language volumes about Chinese life and society. Special collections include a small rare book collection of 17th century volumes that first revealed China to the West, a collection of approximately 1300 older books from 1800 to 1949, and a multi-lingual collection on the history of the Catholic Church in China. Library On-line Catalog
"How The West Learned of China" collection
The TBC Library of Chinese Studies has obtained a few original copies of these works in its collection entitled: "How the West Learned of China". The collection dates from 1588 until 1840 (with a few later exceptions). "How The West Learned of China" collection list
Historical collection
The collection has 1,200 books from the early 19th century to the founding of the Peoples Republic of China. Many books were published in the Qing Dynasty and some are considered rare or collectors items. Historical collection list
Christian History collection
This is a multilingual collection mainly of primary sources from around the world on early Christian history in China. Works here are in Chinese, Latin, Portuguese, Dutch, German, Spanish, French, etc. (not English). It contains the work of early Dominicans, Franciscans, Jesuits and others as well as works from the early local church in China. Christian History collection list
External links
- The Beijing Center for Chinese Studies
- ChinaVoice Summer Mandarin program
- Loyola University Chicago Study Abroad
- Beijing University of International Business and Economics