Torbjörn Lodén 羅多弼
Address
Lärkstigen 4,
SE-131 47 Nacka, Sweden
Email: Luoduobi (at) gmail.com
Phone: +46-(0)760-095548; +46-(0)8-718 15 61 (residence);
Personal Data
Born June 11, 1947 in Nynäshamn, Sweden
Married since 1973 to Lena Jönsson, librarian
One child Sofia, born in 1983
Research Interests
Chinese intellectual history and literature. My first research in sinology dealt with the May Fourth Movement, focusing on the writings of Chen Duxiu, Hu Shi and Li Dazhao. In my Ph.D. dissertation I analyzed the debate in 1928–29 on the notion of proletarian literature. In the 1980’s my research focused on the philosophical thought of Dai Zhen (1724–1777), and I translated his major philosophical work – the Mengzi ziyi shuzheng – into English and wrote a series of paper about him. I have not yet completed a monograph on his philosophical thought. In the 1990’s I devoted most of my scholarly energy to the analysis of intellectual trends in post-Mao China and published a book entitled Från Mao till Mammon (From Mao to Mammon) on this topic. During the first years of the 21st century I decided to devote the major part of my remaining scholarly life to a synthetic study of the history of Chinese thought, trying to piece together bits and pieces into a comprehensive whole. My book on Confucianism, which I wrote in Hong Kong 2003–2004 and published in 2005, was a first result of this new orientation. In 2005 the Swedish Academy generously gave me a five-year research fellowship, and I have devoted the major part of the past five years to my history of Chinese thought and to the translation into Swedish of the Four Books of the Confucian canon. I have not been able to finish this big project and remain committed to continuing my work and publish both a history of Chinese thought and a Swedish edition of the Four Books. Beyond these publications I will continue my work in the field of Chinese intellectual history, and especially the history of Chinese thought.
Employment
- Visiting Professor at City University of Hong Kong (2011–2013)
- Director of the Stockholm Confucius Institute (2005–2014)
- Research fellow, City University of Hong Kong (2003–2004)
- Director of the Centre for Pacific Asia Studies (1998–2001)
- Professor of Chinese Language and Culture, Stockholm University (1990–2014)
- Associate Professor of Sinology (1987–1990)
- Research fellow in sinology, Stockholm University (1982–86)
- Consultant on Chinese education and foreign policy, Agency for Research of the Swedish Ministry of Defence (1979–1980)
- Cultural Attaché, Swedish Embassy in China (1973–1976)
- Teacher of Chinese and courses on Chinese culture, ABF (Workers’ Educational Association), Stockholm, (1971–1973).
- Teacher of Russian, Folkuniversitetet Stockholm (evening courses) (1968–1969)
Languages
Swedish (native language), Chinese and English (fluent), French and German (fair), Russian (elementary), Latin (rudimentary)
Education
- Ph.D. in Sinology, Stockholm University (1980)
- Studies of Chinese, New Asia College in Hong Kong (1970–971)
- Undergraduate studies of Chinese, Stockholm University (1968–1969)
- M.A. in Russian and philosophy, Stockholm University (1968)
- Graduated from senior high school in Kiruna, Sweden (1966)
Teaching experience
Taught courses at all levels on Chinese language, modern and classical, as well on Chinese history, literature and philosophy. Successfully supervised nine Ph.D. candidates until they received their degrees. Organized numerous courses and programmes in the field of Chinese and East Asian Studies.
Lectures, media appearances, Conferences etc.
- Numerous lectures during the past forty years in different universities in Sweden and in other European countries (Denmark, Norway, Finland, England, France, Germany, Spain), the United States, China including Taiwan and Hong Kong and also to the general public in Sweden.
- Frequent appearances on Swedish radio and TV, commenting on current events in China and discussing Chinese culture.
- Organized several conferences, both Swedish and domestic, invited visiting scholars, attended many scholarly conferences, in Sweden and internationally.
Other Selected Professional Activities
- External examiner of one doctoral dissertation in Lund and one in Århus, Denmark
- Member of the examination committee in connection with the defence of several doctoral dissertations
- Reviewer of Programmes in Chinese and Translation and Interpretation, City University of Hong Kong (2006)
- Director of the Stockholm Confucius Institute (2004-2014)
- Director of the Center for Pacific Asia Studies, Stockholm University (1998-2001)
- Study commissioned by the Swedish Council for Research in the Humanities and Social Sciences on the situation for so-called small subjects in Swedish Universities (1998).
- Vice chairperson of the board of the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies in Copenhagen (1993–1996).
- Chinese language expert for the Swedish Collegium of Commerce, which authorizes interpreters and translators (1990–)
- Director of the Department of Oriental Languages, Stockholm University (1987–1993).
- Member of the board of the European Association of Chinese Studies (1986–92)
- Director of East Asian Studies Programme, Stockholm University (1984–1986)
- Member of a committee appointed by the Swedish Council for Research in the Humanities and Social Sciences to examine the situation of Swedish research on Asia. (1983–1984)
Fellowships, Grants and Honours
- Huilin Cultural Prize, Beijing Normal University, 2015.
- Visiting Professor at City University of Hong Kong, 2011–2014
- Distinguished Adjunct Researcher at the Institute of Chinese Language and Culture (IPCLC), Renmin University, Beijing, 2010–2012
- Member of the International Panel for Review and Evaluation of the National Institute for Advanced Humanistic Studies at Fudan University (2010–2013)
- Invited to Peking University to present the 2009 lectures in commemoration of Cai Yuanpei and Tang Yongtong (November 2009)
- Honorary chairperson of the board of the Nordic Cultural Institute, Nanjing University (2009–)
- Research fellow at the Swedish Academy (2005–2010)
- Visiting fellow, City University of Hong Kong (2003–2004)
- Member of the Royal Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities (2002–)
- President of the International Society for Chinese Philosophy (2001–2003)
- Honorary Professor, Academy of Social Sciences, Zhengzhou, China.
- Visiting fellow at the Ecole des hautes etudes en sciences sociales, Paris (one month in 1991)
- Grant from the Swedish Council for Research in the Social Sciences and the Humanities (1982–1986)
- Swedish delegate to the New York Herald Tribune World Youth Forum (1964)
Membership of Editorial Boards
Acta Orientalia (Oslo), Copenhagen Papers, Jiuzhou xuelin 九州学林 (Shanghai and Hong Kong); Journal of Chinese Philosophy (Oxford); responsible publisher of Orientaliska studier (Stockholm). Advisor to Mingpao Monthly in Hong Kong and member of the committee for Mingpao’s Treasury of Contemporary World Chinese Literature.
Talks, Lectures and Papers
2016
11.11
“全球化下的中国文化” (Chinese culture in the globalized world). Seminar at Hopkins-Nanjing Center, Nanjing University. Speaker together with professors He Chengzhou 何成洲, Gao Jianping 高建平 and Zhou Xian 周宪.
9.11
“Confucius and World Culture.” Lecture at Hopkins-Nanjing Center, Nanjing University.
7.11
“中国在瑞典。” Föreläsning om kulturkontakter mellan Sverige och Kina sedan 1960-talet. På Institute for Advanced Studies, Nanjing University.
27.10
“Konfucius och hans historiska roller.” Föreläsning på ABF i Stockholm.
20.10
“Konfucius återkomst.” Föreläsning på frukostmöte med Sweden China Trade Council i Stockholm.
17.10
“Konfucius på svenska.” Måndagsföreläsning på Stockholms universitet.
6.10
Samtal på Hedengrens bokhandel med förläggaren Helena Hegardt du Rées om Konfucius samtal.
23.9
Presentation av Konfucius samtal på Forskartorget på Bokmässan i Göteborg.
18.9
“Konfucius samtal.” Föreläsning på Östasiatiska museet i Stockholm.
21.4
“The Future of China, Taiwan and Hong Kong.” Föreläsning på Utrikespolitiska föreningen i Uppsala.
2011
1.2
“Communism is dead, Long live Confucianism?” Seminar at The Finnish Institute of International Affairs in Helsinki in connection with the publication of Dr. Jyrki Kallio’s report Tradition in Chinese politics.
20.1
“Kina – från himmelskt imperium till modern stormakt” [China from celestial empire to modern great power]. Senioruniversitetet i Uppsala, Uppsala
24.1
“Kina – från himmelskt imperium till modern stormakt” [China from celestial empire to modern great power]. Senioruniversitetet at ABF, Stockholm.
2010
18.11
“Dagens Kina – ett historiskt perspektiv.” [Today’s China – a historical perspective]. Ruter Dam, Stallarholmen.
20.9
“Kina – från himmelskt imperium till modern stormakt” [China from celestial empire to modern great power]. Senioruniversitetet at ABF, Stockholm.
7.9
“On the Roles of Native Chinese and Swedish Teachers of Chinese.” Meeting with representatives of the European Confucius Institutes in London.