What is China? While many perceive it as a rising power challenging Western dominance, eminent historian Professor Gungwu Wang posits that the country has no ambitions on that front. In this illuminating book comprised of edited transcripts of selected lectures, it offers his interpretation of the answer. He traces China's roots as an ancient, borderless Sinic civilisation with a distinctive past that has been a source of strength. Following the establishment of the concept of a nation-sta...

No Borders: Journeys Across Islands and Continents is the autobiography of eminent historian Professor Wang Gungwu. Respected the world over for his interpretation of the Sinic civilisation, he delves into his own annals to tell his story. From vantage points in Malaya, London, Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore, he has witnessed the trials and tribulations of China over the last 80 years — even as he devoted himself to studying its past. This he accomplished alongside a career defined by ...

Professor Wang Gungwu is the Institute of Policy Studies' 12th S R Nathan Fellow for the Study of Singapore. This book is an edited collection of his four IPS-Nathan Lectures, delivered from November 2022 to March 2023, and includes highlights of his question-and-answer segments with our audience.The Southeast Asian region is home to a set of diverse local cultures and distinct local identities. In this lecture series, Professor Wang looks at how great civilisations came into conta...

Humans have been on the move for millennia. They have done so slowly as well as quickly, sometimes involuntarily, sometimes transported by force, often relocated at great cost in lives, but they have always moved. Over the centuries, improved transportation has eased the movement, even in the face of man-made or natural obstacles. But in modern times, migration has accelerated and its reach has become truly global.Whether it is Turkish gastarbeiter in Germany, Japanese Nisei in Seattle, Fi...

'The book is engaging, informative, and provocative and can profitably be read by undergraduates and professors alike. You do not have to agree with the dean of China studies to learn from him.'China Review InternationalThe book shows how the Chinese are now confident of their capacity to learn all they need from the developed world and are keen to know which parts of the past they would need to build a modern Chinese civilization. They are very conscious of the challenges ...

The reemergence of China as a political force has triggered sharp reassessments of its future role in the Asia-Pacific region. There has been much hyperbole about China's economic power, especially if it is linked with the entrepreneurial talents of the ubiquitous Chinese spread around the globe. Some countries have been encouraged to sound warning bells about China's future ambitions to dominate the region. All this is not surprising, even understandable. But the danger of exaggeration to...

Lee Kuan Yew through the Eyes of Chinese Scholars is a compilation of essays by highly-respected Chinese scholars in which they evaluate the life, work and philosophy of Lee Kuan Yew, founding Prime Minister of Singapore. Presenting a range of views from a uniquely Chinese/Asian perspective, this book provides valuable insights for those who wish to gain a fuller and deeper understanding of Lee Kuan Yew — the man, as well as Singapore — his nation.Marking the momentous event of his death a...

China has achieved significant socio-economic progress and has become a key player on the international stage after several decades of open-door and reform policy. Looking beyond China's transformation, this book focusses on the theme of governance which is widely regarded as the next most critical element to ensure that China's growth remains sustainable.Today, China is confronted with a host of pressing challenges that call for urgent attention. These include the need to rebalance and re...

Political, social and economic transformations have marked the 20 years since Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region of China. To mark the historic handover, the Institute of Advanced Studies (IAS) at Nanyang Technological University invited experts from various fields to share their unique insights on the developments and impact of the last 20 years on Hong Kong and Singapore in a conference in Singapore.This volume is a compilation of speeches and presentations delivered at the...

An extraordinary collection of essays by Nobel Peace laureates and leading scholars on the concluded Iraq War, The Iraq War and its Consequences is the First and Only book that brings together more than 30 Nobel Peace laureates and eminent scholars to offer opinions, analyses and insights on the war that has drawn both widespread opposition and strong support.In this intellectually captivating book, Professor Irwin Abrams, considered the leading authority world-wide on the history of the N...

The Pacific Rim of Asia – Pacific Asia – is now the world's largest and most cohesive economic region, and China has returned to its center. China's global outlook is shaped by its regional experience, first as a pre-modern Asian center, then displaced by Western-oriented modernization, and now returning as a central producer and market in a globalized region. Developments since 2008 have been so rapid that future directions are uncertain, but China's presence, population, and production g...

A fascinating reflection on family, identity, and belonging.As someone who has studied history for much of my life, I have found the past fascinating. But it has always been some grand and even intimidating universe that I wanted to unpick and explain to myself.Wang Gungwu is one of Asia’s most important public intellectuals. He is best known for his explorations of Chinese history in the long view and for his writings on the Chinese diaspora. With...