Professor Li Xinfeng, PhD, writer, senior research fellow, Chief Professor of Southeast University, the vice dean of the Institute of International and Regional Studies, PhD supervisor and postdoctoral co-supervisor in School of Foreign Languages, Southeast University.
Professor Li is currently the President of Chinese Society of Asian and African Studies, an expert who receives Special Allowance from the State Council of China, and a member of Evaluation Expert Committee of the National Social Science Fund and Chang Jiang Scholars Program of Ministry of Education of China. Professor Li used to be the founding Executive President of China-Africa Institute (CAI), the former Director-General of Institute of West Asian and African Studies (IWAAS) of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), the former Dean of Department of West Asian and African Studies of University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (UCASS), the former Chief Editor of journal of West Asia and Africa, and Journal of China-Africa Studies.
Professor Li started his professional career at Xi'an International Studies University after he graduated from the English Department of the same university in 1981. He was admitted by the Graduate School of the CASS twice where he received the Master of Laws and the PhD of Management. He also has a Master of Arts degree from the University of Wales in the UK. He used to work as the resident correspondent of the People’s Daily to Africa for 8 years and the Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Social Sciences in China Press (SSCP) for 4 years. He became a member of Chinese Writers Association in 2007 and joined China Photography Association in 2008.
Professor Li's research focuses on African politics, history and China-Africa relationship. Until today, he has published more than 40 academic papers in famous Chinese and English journals, including Social Sciences in China, Historical Research, and Seeking Truth (Official journal of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China), and published several monographs such as China in Africa: In Zheng He's Footsteps (Chinese and English version), Zheng He and Africa (Chinese, English and Arabic version) and A Study of Land System in South Africa (The Selected Works of CASS ). Currently, he also serves as the chief expert of the project of “General History of Africa” (Multi-volumes) (LSYZD21022), a major bidding project of the National Social Science Fund Project of the Chinese Academy of History.
Professor Li's monograph of China in Africa: In Zheng He's Footsteps was given a special award from the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, and H.E. Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao also gave special inscription to praise the contribution made by the book to inherit the traditional friendship between China and Africa. H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta, President of Kenya and H.E. Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa also wrote prefaces for Professor Li's books of China in Africa: In Zheng He's Footsteps (English version) and Zheng He's Voyages to Africa in the 15th Century: The Maritime Silk and Porcelain Road (English version).
