The Library of the Institute of European Civilization is the only world history professional library of Chinese universities that features the research of European civilization process and the research of European economic-social history in its collection. The library has a rich and specialized collection of medieval history literature and reference books, which guaranteed the leading position of academic research and the cultivation of high-level talents in the discipline. Since 2023, the library has been organizing a series of research activities, aiming at enabling students to acquire academic skills, master materials and documents, and track the frontiers of the academic world in practice.
In the afternoon of May 29th, Dr. Chen Jianjun, relying on the collection of the library, brought a study activity about the The Oxford Dictionary of the Middle Agesto the students. Chen Jianjun compared the differences between the old and new editions of the dictionary, and introduced in detail the characteristics of the ordering of the entries and how to use it.
The Oxford Dictionary of the Middle Agesis one of the special collections of the Library. The new edition brings together the wisdom of more than 800 scholars, contains thousands of entries, and is accompanied by hundreds of illustrations and dozens of maps. Chen Jianjun indicated that the new edition, while inheriting the rich content of political and military history from the old edition, presents emerging fields of research such as cultural history, women's history, and children's history.The Oxford Dictionary of the Middle Ages is all-encompassing in its content, including the magnificent medieval architecture and art, achievements in law and medicine, and recent archaeological excavations. It is not only a treasure trove of knowledge on medieval history, but also lists detailed bibliographic information. For students who have just begun their studies in world history, consulting the Dictionary will not only help them to grasp the development of medieval history, but also help them to understand the previous research.
Dr. Chen Jianjun then particularly pointed out the limitations of the Dictionary. Due to their academic backgrounds, the editors of devoted more to Europe in the process of writing, but the history of the rest of the world during the same period is relatively brief. Multiple perspectives are important in the study of medieval history. Chen Jianjun also introduced a number of medieval encyclopedias, which offered a broader academic perspective for the students present.
Students who participated in the study activity passed around the Dictionary and looked up the entries they were interested in under the guidance of Dr.Chen Jianjun. They gained a deeper understanding of the Dictionary and practiced the ability to use reference books.
