New Sinology and Sinophony

"The concept behind this rather nebulous expression, 'New Sinology', is a simple one, and one that to many colleagues who are engaged with things Chinese will not appear to be particularly 'new'. For the description of the China Heritage Project, I speak of 'New Sinology' as being descriptive of a 'robust engagement with contemporary China' and indeed with the Sinophone world in all of its complexity, be it local, regional or global. It affirms a conversation and intermingling that also emphasizes strong scholastic underpinnings in both the classical and modern Chinese language and studies, at the same time as encouraging an ecumenical attitude in relation to a rich variety of approaches and disciplines, whether they be mainly empirical or more theoretically inflected. In seeking to emphasize innovation within Sinology by recourse to the word 'new', it is nonetheless evident that I continue to affirm the distinctiveness of Sinology as a mode of intellectual inquiry."

by Geremie R. Barmé, New Sinology - China Heritage Project
http://rspas.anu.edu.au/pah/chinaheritageproject/newsinology/newsinology.php