Ukrainian Association of Sinologists is a non-government, independent, non-profit think tank, focusing solely on China Studies and Ukrainian-Chinese relations. The association unites 269 members from different disciplines and pursues the goal of promoting the development of research on China and popularizing modern knowledge about China in Ukraine.
History of establishment
The Association’s predecessor was the Ukrainian branch of the All-Union Association of Sinologists (UV VAKIT) at the Department of Literature, Linguistics, and History of the Academy of Sciences of Ukrainian SSR.
UV VAKIT includes all the leading Ukrainian sinologists (G.M. Brodsky, V.V. Velychko, A.S. Goncharuk, S.A. Kichigin, V.A. Myasnikov, S.A. Nikishenko, A.V. Pasko, B.A. Pushkarev, V.V. Sednev, V. B. Urusov), teachers of the Chinese language (V.Vasiliev, A. B. Vakhitov, E.V. Ilinich, I.A. Zuev, V.P. Menshikov, S.S. Staroverov), the Chinese literature translators (I.K. Chirko, Li Jiegao), researchers of Chinese medicine (E.L. Macheret) and martial arts (G.G. Kuzmin).
UV VAKIT consisted of more than 50 people. The editor-in-chief of the magazine “Universe” A. I. Mikitenko actively contributed to the formation of UV VAKIT. V.V. Sednev was the Chairman of the UV VAKIT, and A.S. Goncharuk was the scholar-secretary. In 1989, an all-Union scientific conference of VAKIT was held in Kyiv, dedicated to its establishment’s 40th anniversary.
Leading Bodies of the association
The president leads the Association; organizational issues are solved by the Board of the Association, headed by the Chairman of the Board. Research work is coordinated by the Scientific Secretary.
Working bodies of the association include
- General assemblies of the Association
- Board of the Association
- Revision Commission
Main fields of activity
- Assisting in the acquaintance of domestic and foreign communities with research on problems of sinology conducted in Ukraine and abroad;
- Promoting the activities of scholars in the field of sinology;
- Providing scientific and methodological assistance in teaching academics;
- Developing scientific connections with scholars, various scientific institutions, societies, and associations engaged in sinology;
- Holding conferences, congresses, meetings, symposiums, schools, and round tables;
- Organization of committees, panels, and workshops for the operation of specific issues;
- Publishing thematic collections, articles, monographs, informative materials, and periodicals;
- Implementing scientific connections with scientific societies and institutions.
- Contributing to Ukrainian and foreign media on China and Ukrainian-Chinese relations.
Structural Divisions
- Translation Department: Comprises over 50 highly qualified Chinese language translators and assists in recruitment for public and private institutions.
- Analytical Department: Prepares analyses and provides consultations on China’s politics, economy, and society, with a constant focus on the development of Ukrainian-Chinese relations.
- Publishing Department: Facilitates the preparation of the scientific journal “Chinese studies” (founded in 2014) and the business journal “Ukraine–China” (founded in 1999).
- Public Events Department: Organizes and holds seminars, conferences, workshops, and round table discussions to develop knowledge exchange, familiarize the public with professional findings, and facilitate dialogue between Ukrainian and international scholars and experts on China Studies, Ukrainian-Chinese relations, and current issues in China’s development.
Publications
The business journal “Ukraine–China” was founded in 1999. Today, it is considered the Ukrainian Association of Sinologists and “You and Law” groups. The magazine is registered with the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, certificate, series КВ № 222616-112516Р from 04.04.2017, and has ISSN 2522-11981 (Online), ISSN 2522-11973 (Print).
In 2011, the Ukrainian Association of Sinologists and the A. Krymskyi Institute of Oriental Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine founded the scientific journal “Chinese studies”. Work underway to create the Sinological library. Kyiv National Economic University named after Vadym Hetman joined the founders of the magazine in 2018.
The scientific journal “Chinese studies” publishes articles, dedicated to current issues of history and the development of China, to researches of the Chinese language and literature, learning about the Chinese connections with other countries in Asia and Ukraine, historiographical reviews and critiques. It also provides information about scientific conferences. The magazine publishes articles by domestic and foreign authors and translations of historical, religious, and literary attractions of China. Certificate of registration of the magazine: КВ 23663-13503ПР from 17.12.2018, and ISSN 2616-7328 (Online), ISSN 2409-904X (Print).
Conferences and forums
The leading scientific conference of the Association “Chinese Civilization: Traditions and Modernity” has been held since 2004 and has become international in 2016. The thirteens conference took place on September 19th in 2019, focusing on the 70th anniversary of founding the People’s Republic of China, the modern Ukrainian-Chinese relations, and the “One Belt, One Road” project.
On May 30th, 2017, the First Ukrainian-Chinese Strategic Partnership Forum “One Belt, One Road” was held in Kyiv. It was dedicated to the 25th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between Ukraine and China.
In 2022, the Association launched the Ukrainian Platform for Contemporary China (https://ua-china.org/) to facilitate dialogues between Ukrainian and foreign scholars on current issues relating to China and Ukrainian-Chinese relations.
Funding
The Association is funded by private individuals and companies, also by public institutions. The Association is open for closer cooperation on a non-profit basis.