台灣大學政治學系中國大陸暨兩岸關係教學與研究中心 「中國學的知識社群」計畫 MEMORY OF BRAZILIAN SYNOLOGY 台 灣 大 學 政 治 學 系 中 國 大 陸 暨 兩 岸 關 係 教 學 與 研 究 中 心 Interview Schedule What follows now is the script of our interviews carried out in Brazil, seeking to gather experiences, impressions and opinions about Sinology in Brazil and its participation in this field. This structure was adapted from the oral interview script – a modality that unfortunately we could not perform at that time for health and logistical reasons, among other reasons. We seek an overview of the personal and educational trajectory; next, what led to the study of China, and from what aspect; finally, some of the academic and personal opinions about Sinology in Brazil and its future. It was not necessary to answer all the questions, but if possible, to form a scenario of the personal trajectory, academic performance and vision of Sinology . We allow for less formal language, telling personal stories and expressing opinions. There was no set size for each answer, you could use as much space as you want. André Bueno Prof. adj. Eastern History UERJ/Brazil Coord. Project Orientalism INTERVIEW Full name and birthday Eduardo Vichi Antunes – 05/24/1990 Family history details (including family history, spouse and family of spouse, siblings and children). Single, only child, no children. Details of school experiences (from preschool to graduate school). Sant'Anna American International School (1993-2007) Degree in International Relations and Economics from Facamp – Faculdades de Campinas (2008-2012) Master's Degree in Scientific and Technological Policy from the Geosciences Institute (IG) of Unicamp (2015-2017) Doctoral candidate in Social Sciences at the Institute of Philosophy and Human Sciences (IFCH) at Unicamp (2019-) The beginning of the study of China. 台 灣 大 學 政 治 學 系 中 國 大 陸 暨 兩 岸 關 係 教 學 與 研 究 中 心 Through learning Mandarin (2009). Later in the doctorate, in which I study the relationship between Chinese philosophy (Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism) and the universe of science and technology. The curricula, the faculty, the institution and the advisor during postgraduate training. Institutions mentioned above. Master's advisor: Prof. Dr. Rafael de Brito Dias Doctoral advisor: Prof. Dr. Antonio Florentino Neto The choice of research subjects, especially those related to China. The doctorate was the result of the desire to combine what I had learned in terms of scientific and technological policy in the master's degree and the learning of the Chinese language. The beginning of the professional career. With my doctorate I also started translating texts on Chinese philosophy (English, French and Mandarin). I also work in the philosophy journal of the IFCH (Modernos & Contemporâneos) , in which several texts on the Orient in general are published in each issue. Intellectual growth after graduation. Studying Chinese philosophy opened my perspectives. It has been gratifying to dialogue with this tradition and to try to see things from the Chinese perspective, without prejudice. I think I've become a more open person to ways of thinking that I would have simply ignored before. Professional societies, associations, research staff and so on. Brazil-China Study Group Latin American Association of Intercultural Philosophy (ALAFI) Modern & Contemporary – International Journal of Philosophy Events or experiences that affect research in China nationally and individually. I don't attend many events. However, my advisor is responsible for organizing an annual colloquium on oriental philosophy at Unicamp which, depending on the edition, focuses exclusively on China, or promotes a dialogue between oriental philosophies, also including philosophies of indigenous Brazilians. Due to the pandemic this specific event has not been held in the last two years, but we are planning to return this year 2022. Myself and other students worked on the organization of this event (Colloquium of Oriental Philosophy). The development and evolution of the curricula themselves in China. I haven't been to China yet, partly because of the pandemic. Reflections on textbooks or teaching materials about China. 台 灣 大 學 政 治 學 系 中 國 大 陸 暨 兩 岸 關 係 教 學 與 研 究 中 心 I have contact with didactic materials from the Confucius Institute and I consider them adequate. As for books for the doctorate, these are mostly Chinese philosophy books written by Chinese authors or by other sinologists. Such works have been the mainstay of my thesis. My focus has been in particular the texts of or about the Confucian school. Regarding Chinese philosophy, this is what I most appreciate reading. The origin and quality of students in China over time. I have no answer. The distribution of supervised dissertation subjects over time. The subjects I took on China were Special Topics on China and Epistemology of Sinology, both of which were very helpful. Studying China is a part of the social sciences course, but it is still in the minority. In fact, there is still no course in sinology in Brazil, or a formally recognized career as a sinologist, as far as I know. The last few years, however, have witnessed a significant improvement in this picture, but much remains to be done. The development and evolution of China's own research agenda. I believe that research on China has developed more and more, however, in my opinion, it is still very focused on the fields of economics and international relations. As someone who studies Chinese philosophy, this displeases me, as it does not always seem to me that there is a real effort to understand the Chinese way of thinking as something that cannot be subsumed within the framework of reflections carried out on the West. Reflections on the methodology of China studies. It is difficult to say anything concrete in this regard, as I understand that each work adopts the methodology it deems appropriate to approach the Chinese reality in the prism that is in focus (politics, economics, international relations, sociology, philosophy, etc.). As someone in philosophy, I feel that even within the larger field of Chinese studies we are somewhat marginalized in favor of areas with greater visibility and capacity to obtain practical results in the short to medium term. I don't understand how anyone could aspire to understand China at all without first understanding Confucius, Laozi or Buddha. As someone who tries to do comparative philosophy, my methodology consists of trying to build a bridge between the main Chinese authors and Western authors who dialogue without prejudice with China. The source of research funding over time. I have a scholarship from CNPq (National Council for Scientific and Technological Development). This is my only source of funding. As for the conferences on Eastern philosophy that we held even before the pandemic, all were funded by various national public and private institutions. The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), which has been at Unicamp since 2019, has never funded us. Engagement in debates about China, both theoretical and practical. 台 灣 大 學 政 治 學 系 中 國 大 陸 暨 兩 岸 關 係 教 學 與 研 究 中 心 The opportunities I had to expose my research were: a presentation at a colloquium organized by my advisor in 2018 and some participation in three lives carried out by channels specialized in China on Instagram (Lyra Chineza ) and on Youtube (Young Chroniclers - Beyond Eurocentric) . Engagement in policy, consultation or risk analysis in the public and private sectors. None. Involvement in transnational research projects on China. As previously mentioned, I work in the international philosophy journal of the IFCH (Modernos & Contemporâneos). I am also a member of the aforementioned ALAFI, however, due to my commitment to the thesis, I have not been able to follow the work carried out by the association except at a distance. Relations with academics, practitioners, government and other connections from China. I was co-translator of a text by Professor Wang Hui (Contemporary Chinese Thought and the Question of Modernity), already published in Modernos & Contemporâneos (v.2 n.4, 2018), and co-translator of a book by Professor Robin Wang (Loyola Marymount University) (Yinyang – The Way of Heaven and Earth in Chinese Thought and Culture), still awaiting publication. I already had the opportunity to meet Professor Wang in person, as she was present at the 2018 and 2019 editions of our seminars on oriental philosophy at Unicamp. Reflections on the influence of the church institutionally and academically in China studies. I have no answer. Frequency of visits to China and recall of trips to China. I never went to China. Other experiences abroad such as visits, lectures, conferences, etc. My experiences abroad have so far been exclusively in Western countries. Once for leisure, in the USA, and once together with college colleagues to visit international institutions (UN, OPEC, European Central Bank, etc.) in several European countries. Both have been together for over ten years. None of them were related to China, because at the time I didn't study what I study today. The relationship with the government. My relationship with the Chinese government is non-existent. My relationship with the Brazilian government is identical to that of the vast majority of the country's citizens: taxpayers, voters, I receive a scholarship from a research funding agency. Publishing experiences. 台 灣 大 學 政 治 學 系 中 國 大 陸 暨 兩 岸 關 係 教 學 與 研 究 中 心 I have already published two articles on sinology (“Different interpretations of science in China: the views of Marcel Granet, Karine Chemla and Christoph Harbsmeier in perspective”, in Revista Brasileira de História da Ciência, v.13, n.1, 2020; and “ Joseph Needham and the contributions of Chinese science to the formation of the scientific universe”, Modernos & Contemporâneos, v.4, n.10, 2020). I have already translated and published two articles on Chinese history and politics: the aforementioned article by Professor Wang Hui and the article by Professor Daniel Bell entitled “A fair hierarchy among citizens: on the importance of service” (Modernos & Contemporâneos, v.3 , n.5, 2018). Both articles are present in a book about the Chinese philosophy colloquium held in 2018 that was recently released by Editora Phi . In this book, entitled “Modernity and tradition in China today”, organized by Professor Antonio Florentino Neto, there is also a third article, by the Slovenian sinologist Jana Rosker, translated by me: “Between tradition and modernity: modern Confucianism as a form of of East Asian social knowledge. I am about to finish the translation of the book “La penée en Chine aujourd'hui ”, by French sinologist Anne Cheng . I am part of a group for translating Chinese philosophy entries from the Stanford Philosophy Dictionary for the Federal University of Pelotas (UFPEL). This project is nearing its conclusion and will soon be published in the scope of the Philosophical Investigation Series at UFPEL. Finally, I am part of a translation group of the four Confucian classics together with my supervisor and another doctoral colleague. Due to the pandemic and other tasks, this project is temporarily stopped. Self-perceived contribution to views and theories about China. My contribution is small. I have built my career within the field of sinology one step at a time. I hope that with the translations we can attract more people willing to study China with the help of quality texts written by renowned researchers. I would like the Portuguese language to also be recognized as one of the languages of sinology. With my thesis I hope to shed light on the relationship between Chinese philosophy and science in the context of a Chinese modernity of its own, a relationship that, in my view, has not yet been satisfactorily clarified. Self-perceived problems with past research. My previous research did not focus on China. With regard to Chinese philosophy (or any other non-Western strand of philosophy) I believe that the problem perceived is unanimous among students: it is necessary to break with the Eurocentrism that still guides philosophy departments in Brazil and in a large part of the western world. . The history of philosophy is millenary and, despite an important contribution coming from Europe and the USA, philosophy does not have its only reason for existing in these two poles. Evaluation of China studies in Brazil/Latin America and its future perspectives. The future for this type of study in our region seems promising, especially because we can identify with China through the BRICS and because of the desire to build an alternative world that contemplates the global south. The last few years, even with all their difficulties, have not been able, in my opinion, to reverse this trend, at best they have put it on hold. I believe that when studying China there is always a lot to learn, because it is like entering a territory that has not yet been explored, regardless of the adopted prism. The creative potential contained in this framework seems unique to me, as it would combine knowledge from Latin America with knowledge from China, a fusion that, again, seems promising for being unique. I believe that we need to follow the current trend and train more and more specialized staff. Creating a formal career in sinology must be one of our goals in Latin America. Evaluation of Chinese pedagogy in Brazil/Latin America and its future perspectives. 台 灣 大 學 政 治 學 系 中 國 大 陸 暨 兩 岸 關 係 教 學 與 研 究 中 心 My contact with Chinese pedagogy is exclusively through the Mandarin classes at the Confucius Institute. I believe, however, that the institute's pedagogy does not differ from ours. The study requires dedication from both parties (teachers and students). With the exchanges in the classroom and the work of each one outside it so that the contents are satisfactorily absorbed, everything else goes well. China Academic Establishment and Scholarship Assessment. I have no way of evaluating. Evaluation and comparison of different Chinese study communities. I have no way of evaluating. Visions on China's future. I understand that China will always be an important country for the world. For countries to be true allies, their respective peoples must understand each other. Only study and a humble attitude can avoid greater friction and even remove the mistaken idea that we know what is best for a distant population whose reality we do not know firsthand. China and Brazil are endowed with incredible potential, and this potential increases even more if these countries go hand in hand, deepening the friendship that already exists between them. The world no longer needs empires or hegemonic nations that unilaterally dictate the rules. I believe that China and Brazil can transmit this message as two nations that will play a fundamental role in creating a more just, egalitarian and, who knows, more fraternal world.