About Us



There is no doubt that the roots of modern Western societies and cultures were in the medieval and renaissance periods. As a result of the amalgamation of Classical Greco-Roman culture and Christian tradition in the medieval and renaissance periods, the unique social structures, behavioral norms, and cultural structures-including philosophy, literature, and many forms of art-of Europe were born at this time.

This Institute seeks to explore the main features of the various European societies and cultures that existed at that time through inter-and multidisciplinary research, employing the sources and methodologies from a number of scholarly fields. These include history, art history, philosophy, literature, classical philology, and religious studies.

Following the model of various "Center(s) for Medieval and Renaissance Studies" established by numerous eminent universities in the West (e.g. that of UCLA in the US), it is the aim of this center to promote research from our own perspective, based on the cultural background of Japan and East Asia, and then present the results to the world.

In order to do so, we carry out joint research projects with scholars from various different fields, hold regular conferences, symposia, and international colloquia with foreign researchers, and issue annuals and collected papers. One of the main tasks of this Institute is to cultivate and support young researchers, including graduate students at Waseda University, and we strongly encourage them to present and publish their research in our various conferences, symposia, and publications.

Through these activities, keeping close links with universities in the West and similar Institutes located within them, the Waseda Institute for European Medieval and Renaissance Studies aims to become a central hub of European studies not only at Waseda University but also for the whole of Japan.


President Takashi JINNO (Professor of Waseda University)


(last update March, 24, 2020)

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