France is among the major powers in the world have a tradition in area studies, and the French history of “aires culturelles” could bring useful insights to China’s endeavor to construct its own knowledge system in area studies. The three phases and four paradigms that “aires culturelles” in France have undergone are as follows: the paradigms of cultural discovery and cultural colonization from the seventeenth to the early twentieth century, the paradigm of cultural modernization in the process of disciplinary development from the end of the Second World War to the end of the twentieth century, the paradigm of cultural globalization with post-modern reflection and critics since the end of the Cold War to the present. The history of the development of area studies in France is characterized by stability and continuity, and the shifting paradigms reflect a close link between knowledge production and the need for a national strategy. Today, the landscape of area studies in France comprises a number of leading academic institutions along with research groups focused on particular scientific interests, which supports inter-agency collaboration. In this landscape, the actors continue to pursue innovation in methods and expand their vision to increase knowledge in area studies.

aires culturelles;area studies;disciplinary development;knowledge production