User:Kansas Bear/Erik Zurcher

Erik Zürcher (Utrecht, September 13, 1928 - Warmond February 7, 2008) was a Dutch Sinologist.

From 1962-1993, Zürcher was a professor of history of East Asia at the Leiden University. Between 1975 and 1990, he was also Director of the Sinological Institute. In Chinese his was name Xǔ Lǐhe.

Biography
From 1947 and 1953 he studied sinology, Buddhism, specializing in Chinese religions. In 1959 his PhD was over The Buddhist Conquest of China. In 1962 he became professor of history of East Asia, particularly the Chinese Buddhism, Chinese reactions to the Christianity and early relations between China and the outside world.

He was a member of the Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences and Associate of the Academie des Belles Lettres et des Incriptions of the Institut de France. He was also awarded the Medal of Honor for Art and Science in the House Order of Orange and knighted in the Order of the Dutch Lion.

His son Erik-Jan Zürcher is a professor of Turkish languages and cultures at the University of Leiden and director of the International Institute of Social History.