Studying Global China Workshop: Nov 7th & 8th

We are excited to announce the program of the 2024 'Studying Global China Workshop'. Participation is open to all PhD students, post-docs, and other interested scholars. M.A./M.Sc. students may also participate (depending on capacity). Registration is possible until Oct 18, 2024. The workshop takes place at Humboldt University of Berlin (Auditorium, Jacob-und-Wilhelm-Grimm-Zentrum).

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Studying 'global' China is challenging. For researchers trained in sinology, studying China's global entanglements demands new methodological approaches. For those coming from social science backgrounds, language barriers and limited historical and cultural knowledge present problems in researching China's global influence. In addition, scholars face both tightening restrictions in the PRC as well as heated discussions on the risks and benefits of cooperation in Western countries. The 'Studying Global China' workshop provides a platform to explore these issues, discuss research approaches, share challenges when conducting fieldwork, and learn about new tools for data analysis.

Are you about to finish your post-doc project or just started your PhD? An early stage China studies researcher or an up-and-coming social scientist engaged with some dimension of 'global' China? Meet other scholars over snacks and coffee, listen to inspiring lectures on contemporary issues, and learn from & about each other: Who is working on what? What are your experiences with fieldwork? How can you translate your academic research into policy advice? Join us at the HU Berlin for two days of debates and networking!

Thursday, Nov 7th

09:00 am Arrival & Coffee
09:15 am Welcome & Introduction 
09:30 am  From Global China as Method to Global China from Below (Nicholas Loubere, Lund University)
10:30 am  Global China from Below: Discussion (Daniel Fuchs, HU Berlin; Nicholas Loubere, Lund University; Kimiko Suda, TU Berlin)
11:30 am  Coffee Break
12:00 pm  Using data to understand modern China (Antonia Hmaidi, MERICS)  
01:00 pm  Lunch  
02:00 pm  Risk management at universities - and what it means for China-related research (Isabelle Harbrecht, HU Berlin)
03:00 pm  Coffee Break  
03:30 pm  Group sessions: Fieldwork challenges  
05:30 pm  Closing

Friday, Nov 8th

09:00 am Arrival & Coffee
09:30 am  Studying China in Global Science… - with telescopes and microscopes (Anna Lisa Ahlers, MPWIG & University of Oslo)
11:00 am  Coffee Break 
11:30 am  Studying common concerns among and with Chinese youths (Biao Xiang, MPI for Social Anthropology)  
01:00 pm  Lunch  
02:00 pm  Group Sessions: Research presentations  
03:30 pm  Coffee Break  
04:00 pm  From academia to policy advice  (Aya Adachi, Bundeskanzler-Helmut-Schmidt-Stiftung) 
05:15 pm  Networking with Berlin YCW (Young China Watchers)
07:00 pm Film screening with CiLENS (Chinese Indie Cinema in Berlin)

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Lectures & Workshops

Thursday, Nov 7th, 09:30 am - 10:30 am 
From Global China as Method to Global China from Below (Nicholas Loubere, Lund University)

Is China part of the world? Based on much of the political, media, and popular discourse in the West the answer is seemingly no. Even after four decades of integration into the global socioeconomic system, discussions of China continue to be underpinned, bound, and framed by a core assumption—that the country represents a fundamentally different 'other' that somehow exists outside the 'real' world. Using a number of illustrative examples, this talk will argue for a two-pronged conceptual shift that emphasises the ways in which the country and people are entangled in global capitalism and recognises the long-run transformative power of small-scale, informal modes of Chinese globalisation that often fly under the radar.

Nicholas Loubere (PhD) is a Senior lecturer at the Centre for East and South-East Asian Studies (Lund University).

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Thursday, Nov 7th, 10:30 am - 11:30 am 
Global China from Below: Discussion

A panel discussion with Daniel Fuchs, Nicholas Loubere and Kimiko Suda.

Dr. Daniel Fuchs is Assistant Professor at the Institute for Asian and African Studies at the Humboldt University of Berlin.

Dr. Kimiko Suda is a sociologist/sinologist. She currently works at the Center for Research on Antisemitism at the Technical University of Berlin.

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Thursday, Nov 7th, 12:00 pm - 1:00pm 
Using data to understand modern China (Antonia Hmaidi, MERICS)  

China's leadership has in recent years closed down physical access to the country. At the same time, as China digitizes, more and more data is being made available digitally. While geoblocking and other access restrictions are also increasing, web-scraping and data analysis are some of the most effective tools to understand modern China. This talk will provide an introduction to data analysis for non-experts, showcase some interesting examples of data work to understand China and offer resources for how to proceed if you want to integrate more data work into your China research.

Antonia Hmaidi works on the geopolitics of technology, China’s pursuit of tech self-reliance (especially in areas like semiconductors, operating systems and internet infrastructure), China's cybersecurity and hacking campaigns. Hmaidi also develops modelling and big data analysis tools and leads MERICS' data task force.

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Thursday, Nov 7th, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Risk management at universities - and what it means for China-related research (Isabelle Harbrecht, HU Berlin)

Many universities are implementing new processes to manage risks related to international research and cooperation. These processes usually go beyond the legally required export control regulations and include the assessment of ethical and reputational risks, as well as security, data, and dual-use related risks. The presentation gives examples of risk management processes from the planning of empirical research until the successful access of the field in China.

Dr. Isabelle Harbrecht is a sinologist and coordinates the China Competence Training Center (CCTC).
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Thursday, Nov 7th, 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm 
Group sessions: Fieldwork challenges  

In an informal group setting, this session provides space to share fieldwork experience and discuss challenges.

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Friday, Nov 8th, 9:30 am - 11:00am 
Studying China in Global Science… - with telescopes and microscopes (Anna Lisa Ahlers, MPWIG & University of Oslo)

When studying Global China, the context in which we ourselves are most active, that is, academia, or more specifically, research and education, has somehow been largely overlooked in China studies. This gap is all the more surprising given that the People's Republic of China has become one of the most important players in global science and scholarship today, and given the role that knowledge and technology play in Chinese society. This talk aims to dust off this topic and show that it is the perfect starting point for exciting combinations of social science analyses and China studies expertise. By highlighting research approaches and sites at macro and micro levels, we will conclude by discussing practical strategies for China scholars under increasingly challenging conditions.

Dr. Anna L. Ahlers is the founder and head of the Lise Meitner Research Group at the MPIWG which explores the many facets of China's rapid and extensive ascent in the global system of science. In November 2023, Anna Ahlers was appointed professor II in the Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages (IKOS) at the University of Oslo (UiO).
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Friday, Nov 8th, 11:30 am - 1pm 
Studying common concerns among and with Chinese youths (Biao Xiang, MPI for Social Anthropology)  

Chinese young people are undergoing a reflexive movement, rethinking their relationships with family, school, work, and society. How can we  study this process of critical consciousness formation in a way that will contribute to the further development of critical consciousness, and will bring Chinese youths' reflexive movement to young people in other parts of the world to pave a way to broader, transnational  conversations.
 
Biao Xiang 项飙 (Phd) is Director of the Department 'Anthropology of Economic Experimentation’ at the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology. Biao Xiang's main research addresses various types of migration and mobility– internal and international, unskilled and highly skilled, and for reasons momentous and mundane– in China, India and other parts of Asia.

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Friday, Nov 8th, 2:00 pm - 3:30pm 
Group Sessions: Research presentations 

In an informal group setting, this session provides space to share one's research and receive as well as provide feedback.

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Friday, Nov 8th, 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm 
From academia to policy advice  (Aya Adachi, Bundeskanzler-Helmut-Schmidt-Stiftung) 

"From Academia to Policy Advice: Exploring Careers in Think Tanks" offers an engaging exploration of how professionals transition from academic work to policy advising, particularly within the think tank sector. The event will provide an overview of the necessary qualifications and typical working conditions in the industry, with a special focus on China. Participants will learn about career paths, key differences in  work processes between academia and policy advice, as well as current research topics that are shaping this field. Additionally, the session will highlight the importance of stakeholder collaboration and the  complexities of securing project funding in policy-focused organizations.

Dr. Aya Adachi specializes in economic security, geoeconomics and risk mitigation strategies. Her work focuses on analyzing the foreign economic policies of the EU, Germany, China and Japan, with a particular emphasis on their engagement with the Indo-Pacific and Global South regions. She currently works for the Bundeskanzler-Helmut-Schmidt-Stiftung.

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Friday, Nov 8th, 5:15 pm - 6:15 pm
Networking with Berlin YCW (Young China Watchers)

Meet young professionals working on China-related issues outside of academia.
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Friday, Nov 8th, 7:00 pm
Film screening with CiLENS (Chinese Indie Cinema in Berlin)

In collaboration with Xuedan Echo Tang from CiLENS, the Berlin Contemporary China Network (BCCN) invites you to a film screening and Q&A with a filmmaker. More info soon!