The International Congress of Orientalists

Extract

The XXVII International Congress of Orientalists was held at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, from August 13 through August 19, 1967. This was the first time the Congress was held in the United States or, for that matter, in the Western Hemisphere. Before the Congress convened, fears were expressed that the distance of Ann Arbor from the East Coast of the United States, and that of the United States from the older centers of Oriental studies, would appreciably reduce attendance. In fact, however, more than 2500 scholars attended, a considerable increase over the previous Congress, demonstrating the tremendous development of Oriental studies in the United States during the previous two decades, and also the effectiveness of the Organizing Committee’s effort to assist the transportation of foreign scholars by means of subsidized airplane flights from Tokyo as well as principal centers in Europe.