About

The Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard University brings together a global community of world-leading academics and practitioners to advance scholarship in all fields of China Studies.

  • China-Related Courses at Harvard, Spring 2027

    Harvard offers a wide range of courses on China and Chinese Studies from across the arts, humanities, social sciences, and professional schools. Check out our full guide to courses for undergraduate and graduate students for the Spring 2027 semester below. *The current list is not exhaustive of all China-related courses offered in Spring 2027. Additional…

  • Meet the 2026-27 Graduate Student Associates

    The Fairbank Center is pleased to announce this year’s GSA cohort of affiliated doctoral students For the 2026-27 academic year, six doctoral students will join the Fairbank Center’s Graduate Student Associates (GSA) program: Katniss Li, Zhuoyu Lin, Xiao Ma, Sasha Makarova, Seongun Park, and Sophia Xiao. The Fairbank Center’s Graduate Student Associate (GSA) program supports…

  • Fall 2026 Acquisitions at the H.C. Fung Library

    The Fung Library announces its new acquisitions for the Fairbank Center Collection.

History of the Center

The Fairbank Center was founded in 1955 by Professor John King Fairbank, a leading scholar in modern and contemporary China studies.

History of China at Harvard

Harvard University has promoted the study of China since the appointment of our first Chinese-language instructor in 1879.

Harvard Tercentenary Stele

This slender marble slab, or stele, was presented to Harvard in 1936 as a gift from Chinese alumni on the occasion of the University’s tercentenary, and stands to the side of Widener Library.

Our Community Policies

The Fairbank Center is unambiguously committed to maintaining a safe and healthy educational and work environment for our community.

The Fairbank Center stands in solidarity with our Asian, Asian-American, and Pacific Islander Communities.