The Director of the Institute is Prof. Yang Guorong. Born in Shanghai in October 1957, Prof. Yang obtained his PHD in 1998 and was promoted as Professor in 1991 and then Doctorial Advisor in 1994. From 1998 to 2000, he was the chair of the Philosophy Department at ECNU. Prof. Yang was visiting scholar at Oxford University (1994-1995) and Harvard University (1999-2000). He is now Professor of the Philosophy Department at ECNU, guest Professor of the Philosophy Department at Wuhan University, and also serves on the Academic Evaluating committee of the State Council, the International Union of Confucianism, Commissioner of the Confucius Fund, the Chinese Philosophy Committee under Shanghai Philosophy Academy. In addition to 100-odd papers, more than ten books of Prof. Yang have been circulated both at home and abroad, including A Systemic Study on Wang Yangming and His Disciples 王学通论（Shanghai, 1990; Seoul, 1994; Taibei, 1997）,New Exposition on Mencius 孟子新论( Taibei, 1993), The Good as an Unfold Process: The Development of Confucian Value-system and Its Transformation in Modern Times 善的历程：儒家价值体系的历史衍化及其现代转换（Shanghai,1994; Taibei,1996）,Positivism with Modern Chinese Philosophy 实证主义与中国近代哲学（Taibei,1995; Beijing, 1996）, Treatise on Wang Yangming's Philosophy 心学之思（ Beiing,1997; Taibei, 1999）, Reason versus Value 理性与价值 (Shanghai,1998), Thinking of Being 面向存在之思 (Taibei, 1998; Shengyan, 2000), The Metaphysical Dimension of Science: The Formation and Transformation of Scientism in Modern China 科学的形上之维：中国近代科学主义的形成与衍化( Shanghai,1999), Thinking in History 史与思( Hangzhou, 1999), Ethics and Existence: Treatise on Moral Philosophy 伦理与存在:道德哲学研究 (Shanghai, 2001; Taibei, 2002).
The Institute consists of five research divisions, respectively specializing
on the History of Modern Chinese Thoughts, the Academic History in Modern China,
the Cultural Construction in Contemporary China, Urban Culture, International
Communications of Thoughts and Cultures, and a Information Center of Modern
China's Thoughts and Culture.
The head of the division of the History of Modern Chinese Thoughts is Prof.
Gao Ruiquan who is Professor and Doctorial Advisor in the Philosophy Department
at ECNU. He gave lectures in the Chinese University of Hong Kong (1994) and
was visiting scholar in University of Bergen (1997) and Stanford University
(1999). His major publications include: (1) Social Thoughts in Modern China
中国近代社会思潮, ECNU Publishing House, Shanghai, 1996; (2) The Geist Tradition of
Modern China 中国现代精神传统, Oriental Publishing Center, Shanghai, 1999; (3) "On
the Methodical Principles in the Study on Social Thoughts of Modern China ",
Academic Journal, Vol. 1, 1996; (4) " On 'Progress' and History: Reflection
on Key Ideas of Modernity", Philosophy Study, Vol. 6, 1998; (5) "Understanding
the Mainstream of National Spirits: Feng Qi's Study on the History of Modern
Chinese Philosophy", Philosophy Study, Vol. 4, 1996.
Prof. Hu Xiaoming serves as the head of the division of the Academic History
in Modern China.
The head of division of the Academic History in Modern China is Prof. Li Xunchang.
The division of Urban Culture is supervised by Prof. Xu Jilin. Research fellows
include Prof. Zhang Xudong (Zijang Guest Chair professor at ECNU, Associate
Professor in East Asia Department at New York University), Luo Gang (Associate
Professor in Chinese Department at ECNU), Ni Wenjian ( Associate Professor in
Chinese Department at ECNU), Mao Jian ( Associate Professor in International
College of Chinese Studies at ECNU).
Tong Shijun is the head of the division of International Communications of Thoughts
and Cultures. He is Professor in Philosophy Department and Doctorial Advisor
in History Department at ECNU. His major publication are: (1)Epistemology and
Methodology in the Post-Hegelian European Philosophy of 19th Century, Bergen,
1996; (2) Zhao Xiuyi, Tong Shijun: Western Philosophies in the times of Marx
and Engle 马克思恩格斯同时代的西方哲学; (3) The Dialectics of Modernization: Habermas and
the Chinese Discourse of Modernization, Wild Peony Pty Ltd, Sydney, 2000; (4)
Philosophy Beyond Borders: Collected Works of Norway Philosophy, Zhejiang People
Publishing House, Hangzhou, 1999. ( one of editors -in -chief for the English
version and translator-in-chief for the Chinese version); (4) J. Habermas: Faktizit?t
und Geltung, Sanlian Bookstore, Beijing, 2003. ( translator for the Chinese
version). Research fellows of the division are Yu Zhenyua, Sheng Banghe, Zhao
Xiuyi, Gu Weimin and Xiong Yuezhi.
Head of the Information Center of Modern China's Thoughts and Culture is Prof.
Lin Zaiyong.