Publication

The School of International Studies and the Global Institute for Silk Roads Studies (GISRS) co-hosted the launch of Strangers at the Heavenly Court. The 1517 Portuguese Embassy to China, authored by Dr James Fujitani, Assistant Professor in History from the School of International Studies at UNNC.

Dr Fujitani’s book offers a fresh perspective on the first modern diplomatic encounter between Europe and East Asia—the 1517 Portuguese embassy to China—and examines why it ultimately failed, culminating in a breakdown of relations and a naval clash in 1521. Drawing on Chinese, Portuguese, Korean, and Japanese sources, the work reconsiders the Ming court’s worldview and regional dynamics across East and Central Asia.

Read the book here.

The Global Institute for Silk Roads Studies at UNNC has supported the publication of a new edited volume titled Reimagining the Silk Roads: Interactions and Perceptions across Eurasia (Routledge: 2024). This is a groundbreaking book where archaeologists, historians, geographers, economists, and IR scholars challenge and redefine silk roads studies.

The three co-editors - Julian Henderson, Stephen Morgan, and Matteo Salonia - propose a broader definition of the silk roads:

• reconciling the study of land and sea routes;
• stressing the agency of a variety of historical actors including slaves, missionaries, and central Asian peoples;
• and encouraging reflections on Eurasian encounters and exchanges across a longer chronology.

The volume has received funding for Open Access, so it can be downloaded from the Routledge website.