By Jan M. Pluvier
It took some time for this idea to be put into practice, and then only on a modest scale. In
1966 the author was appointed lecturer in modern Asian history (the post was made into a
professorship in 1980) and early in 1968 the Institute of Modern Asian History (IMAG) was
founded. It was not incorporated into the Department of History but became a separate unit
of the Faculty of Arts. A small but gradually expanding library was also established, which
now contains some 7,000 books, forty-five journals and a map collection.
The principle aim of the courses in modern Asian history was to serve prospective historians,
but they were also attended by students of cultural anthropology and political science.
Initially there were no facilities for MA students: modern Asian history could be chosen only
as a subsidiary subject. Consequently the Institute remained comparatively small in terms of
teaching staff (apart from the lecturer there were only two others: A.P.E. Korver and Dr.
Go Gien Tjwan). As a growing number of students enrolled, Korver started to work out a
plan to raise officially the status of modern Asian history allowing students the opportunity
to graduate in it.
Reaching the MA status
As the end of the 1970s approached, the position of IMAG came under threat from the
retrenchment policies of the Faculty of Arts. When Korver, disappointed that his plans had
so far failed to materialize, went over to the History Department, no replacement was
appointed. For some time the Faculty toyed with the idea of eventually abolishing the entire
study, stating, incorrectly, that it might just as well be handled by the South and Southeast
Asian Department of the Anthropological and Sociological Centre in the Faculty of Social
Sciences.
A lengthy and rather peevish correspondence developed between the Faculty and the Institute
collected together for interested future generations in a bulky file labelled IMAG
Militans, but in the end with the help of the University's higher authorities and buoyed
up by a newly appointed teacher, R. Feddema, modern Asian history was made into a MA
study in 1980. This meant that students in modern Asian history, like those in medieval,
economic and modern history, could graduate in history, or within the Faculty of Social
Sciences in their particular field of study namely with modern Asian history as major subject.
Saved from extinction
Yet, during the nation-wide campaign for academic re-organization in the mid-1980s the
Faculty of Arts decided to abolish all Asian studies, except those of the Middle East. IMAG
was saved from extinction in the nick of time when it was allowed to become part of the
Faculty of Social Sciences as an autonomous unit of the Department of International Relations
in 1986. It was still possible for students of history to graduate in modern Asian history, and
quite a few did so, but it was logical that from then onwards most students came from political science.
The number of students steadily increased. In 1990, a year chosen at random, there were
ninety-two, from both Faculties. Between 1980 and 1995 seventy students graduated in
modern Asian history. On the downside, the retirement of two teachers meant that the
teaching-staff decreased from three to one. At this moment, however, applications are invited
for a professorship.
Resourceful
Chronologically modern Asian history covers the period from roughly 1800 to the present,
but history students taking it as a major subject are expected to make themselves familiar
with pre-modern Asian history and Asian historiography as well. Geographically the field of
study is confined to East, South and Southeast Asia. Its main theme is political history, but
since historians tend to be an expansionist race economic, social and cultural history are also
included.
IMAG maintains good relations with related Asian departments in other universities,
particularly those where facilities exist (such as language training) that are not, or not longer,
offered in Amsterdam. In 1985 an exchange project, for both teachers and students, was set
up with the University of Hanoi. Although IMAG was squeezed out of this programme in
its original form after a few years, it has been able, like the kancil in Indonesian
fairy tales, to develop sufficient shrewdness and resourcefulness to continue the project in
its own way. Various Vietnamese professors have visited Amsterdam and given lectures,
while a number of students, eleven so far, have been sent by the Institute to Hanoi to do
research and follow a language course.
Institute of Modern Asian History (IMAG)
Oudezijds Achterburgwal 237
1012 DL Amsterdam
Tel: +31-20-5254473
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