A GCA Fellow’s Donation of Books Enriches the Global China Academy’s Library Collection

In a generous contribution to the academic community, Professor Robin Cohen, a Life Fellow of the Global China Academy (FGCA), has donated an invaluable collection of ten academic books to the GCA library. This significant donation highlights Professor Cohen’s dedication to enhancing education and advancing sociological knowledge through global and regional perspectives.

These books, cover various topics, offering insights into global migration, cultural diversity, and the dynamics of international relations. The collection features influential works edited or authored by Robin Cohen and others, encompassing diverse topics in sociology and political science:

1. Modernities in Northeast Asia (2024), edited by Jun-Hyeok Kwak and Ken Cheng, provides a transformative view of modernity through the lens of Northeast Asian intellectual and political movements, challenging Western-centric perspectives.
2. Global Diasporas: An Introduction (2022) by Robin Cohen, in its 25th anniversary edition, explores the concept of diaspora through case studies of Jewish, Armenian, African, and other diasporas, offering comprehensive guidance for students and scholars.
3. Mandela-wash and other essays (2022) by Robin Cohen, is a collection of essays addressing contemporary topics such as vaccine rollouts, electoral reform, and citizenship.
4. Refugia: Radical Solutions to Mass Displacement (2020) by Robin Cohen and Nicholas Van Hear, proposes innovative solutions to mass displacement.
5. Migration: The Movement of Humankind from Prehistory to the Present (2019) by Robin Cohen, examines various types of migration throughout history.
6. Diasporas Reimagined: Spaces, Practices and Belonging (2015), edited by Nando Sigona, Alan Gamlen, Giulia Liberatore, and Hélène Neveu Kringelbach, is a collection of essays from the Oxford Diasporas Programme.
7. Migration and its Enemies: Global Capital, Migrant Labour and the Nation-State (2006) by Robin Cohen, explores the interplay between global capital, migrant labor, and national politics.
8. Conceiving Cosmopolitanism: Theory, Context, and Practice (2003), edited by Steven Vertovec and Robin Cohen, is a compilation of essays on cosmopolitanism.
9. Frontiers of Identity: The British and the Others (1994) by Robin Cohen examines British national identity.
10. International Labour and the Third World: The Making of a New Working Class (1987), edited by Rosalind E. Boyd, Robin Cohen, and Peter C. W. Gutkind, discusses the international role of the working class.

Professor Cohen’s donation timed perfectly for the GCA, as the institution continues to expand its resources to support research and learning in sociology and related disciplines. The new additions to the library will be invaluable resources for GCA Fellows, researchers and students, facilitating a deeper understanding of the complex social issues shaping the modern world.

The GCA plans to hold a small ceremony session during the 10th GCA dinner on 8th December to acknowledge Professor Cohen’s contribution. Although the books were not present at the House of Lords for the dinner, the GCA’s website records Professor Cohen’s benevolence and ongoing support for academic excellence. Professor Xiangqun Chang, President of the GCA, expressed profound gratitude for this donation, noting it as an investment in knowledge and future research, particularly in global and comparative perspectives.

Appendixes

1. In addition to the aforementioned books, Global Sociology (2017, 2012, 2000) by Robin Cohen and Paul Kennedy is a well-known textbook worldwide. Following the 1st edition, the Chinese edition 《全球社会学》was published in 2001, translated by Wen Jun 文军. It has been introduced to the Chinese academic community as a landmark work：

• creatively integrates existing theoretical traditions in sociology with emerging research perspectives, strongly focusing on contemporary issues and the dynamics of social change.
• offers a highly promising and inspiring new perspective for sociological research, especially in terms of sociological theory and methods. Through a detailed examination of global viewpoints and paradigms, it vividly reiterates the value and vision of sociology in understanding the complex and rapidly changing world in which we live.

Contrastingly, it’s worth mentioning another book, Global Sociology: Analysis of Transnational Phenomena (2006), by Jiaming Sun of Texas A&M University-Commerce and Xun Wang of University of Wisconsin-Parkside, in the USA. This book is only available in Chinese （《全球社会学: 跨国界现象的分析》, 孙嘉明  王勋 著）.  It consists of eight chapters covering topics such as formation of global society and global sociology, major theories and schools of global social studies, economic globalization, global social environment, etc

2. News at University of Oxford website: A Fellow for Life: https://www.kellogg.ox.ac.uk/news/a-fellow-for-life