ISDP Welcomes Torbjörn Lodén as the New Head of the Stockholm China Center

ISDP is pleased to announce the appointment of Torbjörn Lodén as the new Head of the Stockholm China Center. Mr. Lodén’s most recent post was as Professor of Chinese language and culture at Stockholm University, through 1990 to 2014. He has a bachelor’s degree in Russian and philosophy from Stockholm University (1968), and took up Chinese studies, first in Stockholm (1968-69) and later at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (1970-71).

From 1973 to 1976 Mr. Lodén served as Swedish Cultural Attaché at the Swedish Embassy in Beijing. In 1990, he obtained a Ph.D. degree in Sinology in Stockholm. In the 1980’s he set up, together with Dr. Bert Edström, Senior Fellow at ISDP, the first East Asian Studies Program at Stockholm University. Mr. Lodén has also served as Director of the Centre for Pacific Asia Studies at Stockholm University, 19982001; Research Fellow at City University of Hong Kong, 2003-2004; and Visiting Professor at the same university, 2011-2014. He is a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History, and Antiquities.

“I am excited to take up the position as head of the Stockholm China Center and look forward to cooperating closely with the group of talented scholars at the center. For a number of years, I have already been loosely attached to ISDP as a non-resident scholar, so I am well aware of the interesting and important work done at the China Center. Together with my new colleagues, I will do my best to build on the solid foundation already laid down and further strengthen the center’s role as an important voice on China. In geographical terms, I believe we should be concerned with Greater China, not only Mainland China, but also Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia, and other areas in Asia with large Chinese communities as well as the Chinese diaspora globally. Moreover, in terms of scholarly disciplines, I find it important that our studies should also include history and culture.”