The Center for Interdisciplinary Research on China (CIRC) at Kookmin University is a group of experts in various professions in literature, history, politics, sociology, economics and scientific technology. The center was established to research the achievements of the various disciplines around the key concept of "knowledge in China."  With the agenda "Knowledge and Intellectuals in China: Their Geography and Network," the CIRC was selected as the HK(Humanities Korea) Research Center by the National Research Foundation of Korea, and is taking a firm step in representing Korea in the field of "Knowledge in China" research.

The Center for Interdisciplinary Research on China (CIRC) was created in June 2009 at Kookmin University by a merge of two institutes: Chinese Studies (College of Humanities) and Chindia Studies (College of Social Science). The Chinese Studies Institute has a long history of researching Chinese literature and the Chindia Studies Institute has been involved in a government project, 'China’s University in Transition: State, Society, and Identity of University’ since 2006.  On the basis of these research achievements, CIRC had the honor of being selected as the Humanities Korea Research Center by the National Research Foundation of Korea.

We are living in an era where information has become the powerful driving force leading changes in the world, giving knowledge a new status and function. With the advent of the so-called "knowledge industry era," knowledge has become the most important source of economic growth, not just literature and politics. This means that knowledge, which traditionally belonged only to the elite, needs to be transformed and integrated into the everyday life of the population at large, thus establishing a new function among them. This is the reason why research on "knowledge in China" has become an urgent subject these days. It is our hope that CIRC's research of "Intellectuals and Knowledge in China" will go beyond the academic level and eventually contribute to our nation's foreign policy and economic growth.  We will do our best and hope to have your encouragement and attention.