Forging a path for in-situ Chinese learning through eight decades of shifting US-China relations, with a focus on IUP

The first part of this article provides a historical background on how Chinese language entered the American academic curriculum, from its fringe status in the first half of the 20th century to its inclusion starting around 1960. Focus is placed on the in-situ component, which has always been deemed essential for true mastery of the language.

With the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in 1949, Chinese language learning in-situ was impacted by geopolitics for the first time. From that point onward until the re-opening of China around 1980, mainland China was closed to American students. The options available for in-situ language programs were limited to Taiwan and Hong Kong. This article will cover the history of the Inter-University Program for Chinese Language Studies (IUP) (aka “Stanford Center”), including its precursors the Cornell Program and the Stanford Program, its 34 years at National Taiwan University, and its successors in Taiwan and Beijing.

The theme of the article is how IUP weathered the geopolitical storms and maintained academic integrity within a highly politicized environment. The article will touch on the circumstances that enabled the founding of IUP in Taiwan in 1963 as well as provide some details about how major shifts in U.S. relations with the PRC and Republic of China (ROC) led to IUP’s most significant transition in 1997. This article will also cover the internal operations of the Center, including its pedagogical methodology which has endured 60+ years to the present day.

本文的第一部分提供了中文进入美国高等学术界的历史背景，从20世纪上半叶的边缘地位到1960年左右开始被纳入学府的正式课程。重点关注的是就地实学部分，这一直被认为是真正掌握语言的必经之路。

随着中华人民共和国在1949年成立，中文就地实学首次受到地缘政治的影响。从那时起直到1980年左右中国改革开放，中国大陆对美国学生关闭，就地实学的可选择地点仅限于台湾和香港。本文将涵盖IUP（又称“斯坦福中心”）的历史，包括其前身康奈尔项目和斯坦福项目、在台湾大学的34年历程，以及其在台湾和北京的后续项目。

文章的主题是IUP如何在地缘政治风暴中持续前进，并在政治化的环境中维护学术主权。文章分析了1963年IUP得以在台湾成立的背景条件，并详细介绍了美国与两岸政权的重大转变，这一转变导致了IUP在1997年最重要的变迁。本文涵盖了该中心的内部运作，包括其延续至今60多年的教学方法。