The Center for Chinese Studies record group consists primarily of material for the years 1962 to 1994. Overall strengths of the collection include documentation of PASE, records of the Asia Library (1962-1982), and course information from curriculum development (1960s). Yearly budget and financial records are fairly complete, except for the period from 1971 to 1976. The gap is unfortunate because it was during these years that the Ford Foundation grants ended and the center had to search for new funding sources. Other material is broadly illustrative of the diversity of the tasks undertaken by the center.
The record group, as received by the Bentley Library, mostly consisted of loose documents and random topical folders. It now consists of topical folders arranged alphabetically within five series. The series Directors Correspondence and the Asia Library are in their original order, as received by the library; Administrative Records, Activities, and Printed Materials are artificial groupings created to provide order and easy access to the records.
The Bentley Historical Library received another large transfer of records from the Center for Chinese Studies in 1997. Spanning the years 1966 through 1994, these consist primarily of administrative files and information pertaining to the activities which the Center for Chinese Studies organized or in which it participated. The records were relatively well organized when it was attained by the Bentley Library. The original order of the records was retained with the exception of some files pertaining to the East Asian Capital Campaign. These were reorganized so that they could be located in one series.
The Center for Chinese Studies (CCS) was formed in 1961, and grew from an "area studies" tradition that was pioneered at the University of Michigan. Area studies are cross-disciplinary in nature to encourage broad and integrated understanding of various cultures. The area studies tradition at the university started in 1936 with the development of the Oriental Civilizations Program, which included instructors from eight different departments who were all specialists on Asia. The Center for Japanese Studies was formed in 1947 and has served as the model adopted by the Center for Chinese Studies as well as other area studies programs around the nation. At the University of Michigan the two centers have always enjoyed a close working relationship and jointly share many administrative tasks. Interest and financial support for area studies programs increased in the late 1950s with the passage of the National Defense Education Act and the Ford Foundation's decision to commit substantial funds for training and research in the field of Chinese studies. Initial funding for the CCS came from a ten year-Ford Foundation grant which was supplemented by a National Defense Education Act East Asia Center grant.
Over the years the CCS has gained national recognition due to the efforts of its first two directors, Albert Feuerwerker and Alexander Eckstein. Both men served on a variety of national, professional and governmental committees relating to the study of and interaction with the People's Republic of China. The papers of Eckstein and Feuerwerker are housed at the Bentley Historical Library and are a source of additional materials for the researcher. A complete list of directors of the CCS since its inception is found on page iii.
The center serves a variety of roles and is responsible for coordinating most activities on the University of Michigan campus relating to China. Pertinent departmental classes are coordinated by the CCS which also administers several interdisciplinary classes. The undergraduate and master's degree programs in Asian Studies, the Asia Library, and the Project on Asian Studies in Education (PASE) are administered by CCS in conjunction with other area centers. PASE is a pioneer university outreach effort designed to improve the quality of study of East Asia in small midwestern colleges and secondary schools, as well as to educate the American public on the societies, traditions and problems of East Asia.
The CCS encourages research on China by awarding research funds to both Michigan faculty and to scholars from around the world who come to Ann Arbor to conduct their research. Research findings are often published by the CCS in Michigan Papers in Chinese Studies, a quarterly journal, or in a monograph series, which was formerly published by the University of California Press but is now "issued by" the University of Michigan Press.
The center provides a variety of services to its students. It administers a graduate fellowship program to help offset the financial burdens experienced by graduate students who pursue an advanced degree in an area studies program. Fellowships are awarded to assist promising students to study in Asia. Since the interdisciplinary nature of the program results in a certain amount of faculty decentralization, the center serves as an important meeting ground for students and faculty. This role is supported primarily through the 'brown bag' lunches and colloquia programs. The Center changed its name to the Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies in 2014.
Directors of the Center for Chinese Studies
| Date |
Event |
| 1961-1962 | Albert Feuerwerker |
| 1962-1963 | Alexander Eckstein, acting director |
| 1963-1967 | Albert Feuerwerker |
| 1967-1969 | Alexander Eckstein |
| 1969-1972 | Rhoads Murphey |
| 1972-1975 | Albert Feuerwerker |
| 1975-1976 | Rhoads Murphey, acting director |
| 1976-1980 | Albert Feuerwerker |
| 1980-1981 | Allen Whiting, acting director |
| 1982-1983 | Albert Feuerwerker |
| 1983-1985 | R.F. Dernberger |
| 1985-1989 | Kenneth Lieberthal |
| 2003-2008 | Jams Z. Lee |
| 2008- | Mary Gallagher |
Name Changes
| Date |
Event |
| 1961-2014 | Center for Chinese Studies |
| 2014- | Kenneth G. Leiberthal and Richard H. Rogel Center for Chinese Studies (LRCCS) |
