Anne Cheng

Anne Cheng holds the Chair of Intellectual History of China at Collège de France, a position established in 2008 continuing a French academic tradition that began with Europe's first Chinese studies chair in 1814. She succeeds Pierre-Étienne Will (Chair of History of Modern China, 1991-2014) and Jacques Gernet (Chair of Social and Intellectual History of China, 1975-1992).

Her research bridges traditional sinological philology with contemporary humanities approaches, examining the continuity between classical and modern China through both scholarly interpretation and modern reinterpretations of ancient texts. Current focus areas include Chinese political philosophy, governance models, and authenticity in Chinese thought traditions.

Upcoming academic activities through 2026 include a lecture series on Chinese political thought (Today's Chinese citizens can only endure autocracy), seminars on authenticity in Chinese philosophy, and a conference comparing democracy and digital governance (Democracy or digital dictatorship: historical and comparative perspectives).

Her work encompasses bilingual editions of classical Chinese texts, digital research publications, international conferences, and scholarly books spanning Chinese intellectual history across its longue durée, positioning her at the forefront of evolving sinological methodology beyond traditional textual analysis.