معرفی
Wolfgang Behr is a Full Professor and Traditional China Chair at the Institute of Asian and Oriental Studies, University of Zurich, where he has served as Dean of Research for the Faculty of Philosophy since 2018. He previously held positions as Associate Professor at the same institution (2008-2015) and as Reader in Classical Chinese at Ruhr-University Bochum (1998-2008).
Behr's research focuses on Old Chinese phonology, Sino-Tibetan comparative linguistics, Chinese paleography, historical semantics, and comparative writing systems. His work bridges linguistic analysis with archaeological evidence and cultural history, particularly examining the relationship between Chinese etymology and material culture. He has made significant contributions to understanding the formal properties of Chinese poetic language and artificial prose, as well as premodern Chinese dialectology and sociolinguistics.
His scholarly output includes numerous publications and his editorial work on the 'Encyclopedia of Chinese Language and Linguistics' (5 volumes, Brill 2017), which involved coordinating with approximately 390 international authors. His 15 most recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on historical linguistics, writing systems, and cross-cultural comparative approaches.
- Advisory Board, Old world. Journal of Ancient Africa and Eurasia (2020)
- Visiting Professor & Distinguished Scholar in Residence, The Jao Tsung-I Academy of Sinology, Hong Kong (2017)
- President, Swiss Asia Society (2015)
- Editorial Board, T'oung Pao (Leiden)
- President, European Association of Chinese Linguistics (2003-2007)
As Dean of Research since 2018 and former Executive Director of the Research Priority Program 'Asia and Europe' (2013-2015), Behr has played a significant role in shaping research directions and securing funding for interdisciplinary projects. He has served as Head of the interdisciplinary PhD program 'Asia and Europe' since 2009, which has produced approximately 40 PhDs and Habilitationen. His extensive service on journal boards and international science panels demonstrates his leadership in the field of Chinese linguistics and comparative studies.
