Hu Dekun

Born in March 1946 in Suizhou City of Hubei Province;

Graduated from the History Department of Wuhan University in 1969,

Became a teacher at Wuhan University in1970;

A visiting scholar at Kyoto University and Soka University (Japan) in 1980 and 1991 respectively;

Hu Dekun is now the Dean of both WHU China Institute of Boundary and Ocean Studies and WHU Institute for International Studies, while concurrently serving as an expert in the Discipline Review Group of National Social Science Fund, a board member of the Department of General Studies under Social Sciences Committee, Ministry of Education, and the president of China Association for History of WWII, etc.

His main research interests cover the History of Second World War and Sino-Japanese War, and History of Boundaryand Ocean. He has published more than 70 papers and many books, including History of the Second World War(second author),the July 7 Incident of 1937, History of Sino-Japanese War (1931 - 1945), A Survey of the Second World War(chief editor),the Second World War and Postwar World Social Progress(first author), China’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Invasion and World Anti-Fascist War(the first author), On China’s Wartime Policy Towards Japan(first author),and China and the World During Anti-Fascist War(nine volumes, chief-editor),etc. In particular, the book History of the Sino-Japanese War (1931 - 1945)is the first monograph on the history of Sino-Japanese War written from the perspective of world history. His nine-volume monograph China and the World During Anti-Fascist War is regarded by peer experts as “an in-depth authoritative book in the field of research on the history of Sino-Japanese War, world anti-Fascist war, and even the international relations during World War II”. It is thought to “have represented the latest research achievement and highest academic level in the study on the interrelation between China and the World During World War II among Chinese historians". In addition, he has also won the 2^nd Prize in the National Humanities and Social Science Research Achievements in HEIs Award and the 1^stPrize in the Hubei Humanities and Social Sciences Outstanding Scientific Achievement Award among many other awards.