Educational networks in East Asia during the Age of Exploration, a period identified as the nascent phase of globalization. Focusing on the late 16th and 17th centuries, it analyzes the Jesuits’ strategic adaptation to local cultures, particularly in Ming and Qing China and Tokugawa Japan, using Western science and technology as a bridge for intellectual engagement and evangelization. The study highlights key hubs like Macau and Nagasaki, which facilitated the bidirectional flow of scholarly materials. It details the processes of translating and disseminating European works in astronomy, cartography, mathematics, and philosophy, alongside the introduction of East Asian thought to Europe. Furthermore, the paper investigates the establishment of Jesuit colleges and seminaries, analyzing their hybrid curricula that integrated Western learning with local scholarly traditions. By tracing these activities, the paper argues that the Jesuits created a foundational, though complex, transnational intellectual network. This network not only facilitated a significant early modern cross-cultural exchange but also left a lasting imprint on the educational landscapes and scholarly developments in East Asia, thereby shaping the region’s engagement with globalizing knowledge systems.
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Share and Cite
Liu, Z. (2025) Knowledge Transmission at the Dawn of Globalization: Jesuit Academic Dissemination and the Building of Educational Networks in East Asia in the Age of Discovery. Journal of Social Development and History, 1(6), 148-159. https://doi.org/10.71052/jsdh/OQCT3626