We have aimed at providing a comprehensive framework to investigate the changing realities of the 21th century world such as the resurgence of China as a superpower and the multi-polarization of the world, and to appreciate them from a historical perspective of civilizations. Through interdisciplinary research, we have explored (1)the relevance and limitations of what we call a "transcivilizational" approach to history to appreciate the fundamental change in human history from the co-existence of ego-centric universalistic civilizations to the establishment of West-centric sovereign states system in the modern era, and (2) the shift in the multi-layered identity of non-European peoples generated in the process of Westernization. By critically examining the prevalent concepts such as "nation,""civilization,""Asia," and "Islam," which tend to be essentialized, we have sought to overcome the widespread ideas of "conflicts" among nations, ethnic (or religious) groups, and civilizations.
