ASIAN STUDIES IN BELGIUM

The bloody events of Tien-an-men not only demonstrated the quest for
democracy of the Beijing students, they also illustrated the impact of
international politics on scientific interest and study choice. Just as the
"open door policy" of Deng Xiaoping had resulted in an unexpected upsurge
of interest for the Chinese study programmes of the eighties, one side
effect of Tien-an-man was a spectacular drop in the number of enrolments
during the nineties. At the university of Louvain, the number of enrolments
for Chinese studies fell from approximately 50 in 1988-1989 to 11 in
1990-1991, while the enrolments for Japanology remained around 50. In
Ghent, the same trend was also discernible.

By Carine Dujardin

This connection between international politics and the China interest is
nothing new. As in most western, industrialized countries, the growing
Belgian interest in China after signing of the unequal treaties has to be
related to both economic and religious activities. In 1865 the first
Belgian C.I.C.M. missionaries left for Mongolia. This missionary
congregation was set up with a special vocation for the conversion of
China. Between 1865 and 1949, approximately 400 men and women set off for
the Far East, especially China and Japan.
In 1865, the future king Leopold II, made a remarkable journey to the Far
East, China in particular. His interest in the Far East never flagged. Yet,
it was only by the end of the 19th century that the Belgian China
connection really took off economically. The first Chinese railway between
Beijing and Hankou was entrusted to a French-Belgian consortium.

SCIENTIFIC INTEREST IN CHINA
At the same time, the scientific interest in China increased considerably.
By the end of the 19th century, Louvain had become a centre of missionary
education and Chinese language study. On the initiative of King Leopold II,
Chinese language courses were also organized at the State Universities of
Ghent and LiŠge (1900). In the 1920s, the China interest gained further
momentum. The indemnification of the Boxer uprising was partly spent on
cultural and educational projects, for instance a number of scholarships
were made available for Chinese students to study at Belgian universities
(Brussels, Ghent, Louvain, Charleroi). This was the period that the
"Institut Belge des Hautes Etudes Chinoises" (1929) was set up in Brussels
with the general aim of disseminating Chinese culture in all of its
aspects.

THE PRESENT SITUATION
Right now, the two remaining universities offering a full-scale programme
of Asian Studies are Ghent and Louvain. In both universities, the Asian
Studies Programmes -- founded in 1958 in Ghent and 1978 in Louvain -- are
part of broader entities. In Ghent, there is the discipline of "Eastern
Languages and Cultures", in Louvain, there is the departments of "Oriental
Studies". The focus in these programmes of Asian Studies is on both
language and culture. Yet, in Ghent, the emphasis is weighted towards
polyvalency and differentiation, whereas in Louvain, the accent is laid
more on specialization. For instance, in Ghent, students get a degree in
"Eastern Languages and Cultures", whereas in Louvain, they obtain a degree
in "Sinology" or "Japanology".
There is a great deal which can be said about the different ways of
organizing the studies. In Ghent, there is only one branch of study, called
"Eastern Languages and Cultures", offering four different language and
culture groups, including Chinese and Japanese Studies. The student puts
together his or her own package of courses. Whatever he or she chooses,
contact with other language and culture groups is guaranteed through a
number of joint classes. In Louvain, since the programme reform of
1986-1987, the disciplines of Chinese and Japanese Studies have acquired
more autonomy within the department of Oriental Studies. The study packages
are predetermined beforehand. Yet, in Sinology, there is a choice between
the classical and the modern option. In the classical option, there is more
emphasis on the language, history, and science of pre-modern China, whereas
in the modern option, students are given an introduction to the economy,
commercial law, and international politics.
Another difference between Ghent and Louvain related to the respective
options for polyvalency or for specialization, is reflected in the study of
the language. In Ghent, students have to learn at least two languages. In
their first licence year, they even have to take a third language. In
Louvain, the focus is on the sound knowledge of one language. In Sinology,
this language is Modern Chinese. In Japanology, it is Modern Japanese.
Within the Ghent language and culture group of Chinese and Japanese
Studies, there is an equal distribution of time between Modern and
Classical Chinese, or between Modern Japanese and Classical Chinese. In
Louvain, Classical Chinese constitutes only a small part of the total
language programme, except for the classical option in Sinology.
Furthermore, in Ghent, there is an equal distribution between theory and
practice. In Louvain, the emphasis is placed on the practical knowledge of
the modern language. Some figures illustrate the difference in approach.
During the candidate years, 40% of the lecture time is devoted to language
study in Ghent (20% theory and 20% practical), whereas in Louvain. 68% of
the time in Sinology is spent on language study (1st cand.: 15% theory and
53% practical; 2nd cand.: 21% theory and 47% practical) and 72% in
Japanology (1st cand.: 15% theory and 58% practical; 2nd cand.: 20% theory
and 52% practical). During the licence years, the emphasis on language
rises slightly in Ghent and drops slightly in Louvain, but the difference
in approach remains.
Both universities offer the possibility to obtain a doctorate in either
"Eastern Languages and Cultures" or in Sinology or Japanology.