Building an Academic Tradition: Durham University and the Development of British Oriental Studies in the Post-War Era

Abstract

In 1947, a Foreign Office report chaired by Lord Scarbrough claimed that British universities should ‘build an academic tradition’ in Oriental Studies akin to that which existed in the traditional humanities. This thesis analyses the limitations to this ambition through an historical study of the well-reputed School of Oriental Studies (1950-1989) and its successor, the Department of East Asian Studies (1989-2007), both of which existed at Durham University.

It considers the underlying forces which led to the establishment and closure of these academic departments within the wider context of UK government policies and university politics. Close attention is also paid to the significance of specific individuals who contributed to the growth or closure of these departments at Durham.

The purpose of this very specific case study is to engage – via recent historical example – with the challenges facing Oriental Studies as a valid academic subject and its continuing relevance in British Universities. It therefore includes an introductory discussion about the nature of Oriental Studies as a subject, the meaning of the term ‘the Orient’, and a brief history of Oriental scholarship in Britain since medieval times.