Ricci Institute for Chinese-Western Cultural History

The Ricci Insitute for Chinese-Western Cultural History at Boston College is an internationally renowned research center for the study of Chinese-Western cultural exchange. 

What We Do

With a focus on the Jesuit missions of the 16th–19th centuries and the history of Christianity in China and East Asia, the Institute supports research on a diverse range of interests:

• Chinese and East Asian history and relations with Europe
• the influences of China and Europe on each other
• Eastern and Western religion, culture, and philosophy
• science and technology, including astronomy, cartography, and medicine

Visiting scholars from around the world meet here to examine these and many other topics in languages ranging fromLatin, Portuguese, Italian, French, and Spanish to Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Manchu. We regularly host meetings, symposia, conferences, and workshops, and every summer our visiting scholars and research fellows-in-residence speak at our weekly seminars on their topic of study.

We provide scholars with timely and high-quality service for their research and academic collaborations with other colleagues and institutions. Whether you're a graduate student or a faculty member continuing your research, we offer our entire library and scholarly network to you.