On the afternoon of April 23, 2026, the Institute of International and Strategic Studies (IISS), Peking University (PKU), held the 96^th "North Pavilion Seminar" lecture series themed "Chinese Studies in North America: Retrospect and Prospect." The lecture was delivered by Timothy Cheek, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and Louis Cha Chair in Chinese Research at the Institute of Asian Research, University of British Columbia, Canada, and chaired by Professor Zhang Qingmin of the School of International Studies, PKU.

Professor Cheek began by pointing out that China studies in today's international academic community face a series of new structural challenges, manifested primarily in political pressure, the media environment, disciplinary fragmentation, and public opinion. The current international political and media environment has, to some extent, narrowed the space for academic research. Barriers between disciplines are pronounced, with fields such as political science, sociology, history, literature, and economics each operating independently and lacking an integrative research perspective, which undermines a holistic understanding of China-related issues. In addition, some segments of public opinion are also unfavorable to forming an objective and rational understanding of China. Together, these factors constitute an important backdrop for China studies today.

Building on this, Professor Cheek reviewed the development of China studies in North America and offered his outlook, using the years 2003, 2013, and 2026 as reference points. First, around 2003, China studies in the North American academic community were largely at a stage of "mutual understanding." Although issues such as China's political development were already receiving attention at the time, the relative isolation between disciplines and the limited exchange of research materials and methods tended to result in a one-sided understanding of China.

Around 2013, China studies gradually moved toward a stage of deeper academic collaboration, with its focus shifting toward reflection on and reassessment of academic traditions and research methods. During this period, the North American academic community not only systematically reviewed existing research approaches but also placed greater emphasis on interdisciplinary dialogue and open academic discussions, and began to pay attention to the research practices and knowledge production of Chinese scholars themselves, thereby fostering a more reflective field of China studies.

Looking ahead to 2026, as global uncertainty rises and international competition intensifies, the central question for China studies in North America has become how to keep channels of academic exchange open in such a complex environment. Professor Cheek emphasized the need to promote transnational scholarly collaboration and to build a cross-contextual and interdisciplinary academic community through means such as collaborative translation, joint research, and shared knowledge production. At the same time, he argued, the study of China-related issues requires greater attention to the connection between history and reality, in order to achieve academic research with greater explanatory power and inclusiveness.

During the Q&A session, Professor Cheek engaged in an in-depth discussion with the faculty and students present on questions including the tension between history and theory, the role of Chinese intellectuals in national narratives, the construction of modernization theory, and how Chinese and international academic communities can reduce mutual misunderstanding and expand research materials and methods. (Contributed by Manlut Sze)

Editor: Li Fangqi  Photo by: Zheng Huaizhou