Integrating traditional knowledge of non-Western humanities and social sciences: a research agenda through the Chinese lens
通过访谈当代中国人文社科学者，研究他们如何将传统中国知识与现代西方知识整合，揭示其动机、原则和策略，旨在促进全球知识体系的多元平等。
The global knowledge asymmetries, dominated by academic centers in Western societies, have marginalized traditional non-Western knowledge. In line with the call for intellectual pluriversality, non-Western scholars in the humanities and social sciences (HSS) have witnessed a revitalization of traditional knowledge in research. Nonetheless, how they integrate their traditional knowledge into research lacks theoretical grounding and empirical substantiation. This study specifically examines the research agenda of contemporary Chinese HSS academics who are attempting to integrate traditional Chinese and modern Western knowledge. Through interviews, it seeks to understand their reasons, goals, principles, and strategies related to such knowledge integration. It first underscores the rationales stemming from global knowledge disparities and Chinese individuals’ limited exposure to their traditional knowledge. It then reveals guiding principles for understanding traditional Chinese knowledge. Last, it provides strategies for knowledge integration, including comparative analysis and the transformation of traditional Chinese knowledge into modern theories and methodologies. Such a research agenda transcends critical reflection on the hegemonic and inequitable global knowledge system, promoting tangible actions to facilitate HSS research in China and beyond.