The Center for African Studies at Peking University is an interdisciplinary and comprehensive research institution integrating teaching, scientific research, policy advisory and talent mentoring. It consists of teachers and research fellows from different departments and institutes of the university. Formerly known as the Asia-Africa Institute (engaged in both research and teaching) and led by Mr. Ji Xianlin, it has become an important center for Asian, African and Latin American research in China since the early 1960s. Relying on the highly competitive faculties from the Asian, African and Latin American Academic Group of the Department of History, the Department of Oriental Languages and Literature, the Department of Western Languages and Literature, the Department of Political Science, the Department of Philosophy and Religion, and the Department of Sociology, the institute has been continuously playing a role of leading the domestic research on African history and current situation, and mentoring specialized talents. In 1998, when African studies in China were at the low point, Lu Tingen, He Fangchuan, ZhengJiaxin and other senior scholars proposed the establishment of the first center for African studies in China to gather together the advantageous resources of all disciplines of the university to conduct multi-disciplinary and comprehensive research on Africa. So far, the center has trained multiple professional talents for other universities and think tanks in China, and yielded a wealth of research results on African history and current situation. It is the earliest center of African studies established by a university in China and one of the three earliest regional and country-specific research centers of Peking University. The center now has about 20 research personnel from different departments of Peking University and 14 guest research fellows. The main advantages of the center lie in the joint participation of multiple disciplines and departments, and its wider research fields than other universities. Meanwhile, as the President Unit of the Chinese Society of African Historical Studies, the center also plays a role in uniting scholars of the whole country specializing in African studies, and maintaining close communication and cooperation with related government departments and business people. It is committed to leading and promoting African studies in China.

http://caspu.pku.edu.cn/en/index.html