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The 2nd Conference of the International Forum for Contemporary Chinese Studies: 7-9 September 2009, University of Nottingham, UK

Beyond Revolution and Reforms: the People’s Republic Looks Forward at 60

7-9 September 2009, University of Nottingham, UK

Organiser:

School of Contemporary Chinese Studies (with its China Policy Institute and Nottingham Confucius Institute), University of Nottingham

Sponsors:

The Office of the Chinese Language Council International (HANBAN)
The Nature and Environment Research Council
The British Academy
The Leverhulme Centre for Research on Globalisation & Economic Policy (GEP)

1. Background

As the People’s Republic of China (PRC) celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2009, its history can be divided into two halves. During the first 30 years, China was governed by a very rigid economic and political system, and suffered a number of natural and man-made disasters. Nevertheless, significant progress was made in agricultural development and industrialisation, as well as in the provision of basic education and healthcare, all of which laid a good foundation for the economic developments that were to come. The second period, characterised by reform and an ‘Open Door’ policy, has seen China develop into a global economic powerhouse and a much more dynamic society.

In 2007, China surpassed Germany to become the world’s third largest economy. It is on track to overtake Japan as the world’s second largest economy within the next two to three years. It will take another two to three decades for China to overtake the US as the world’s largest economy.

Despite the severe economic recession that hit the industrialised world in 2008, China managed to achieve a 9% growth in its gross domestic product (GDP), and is aiming for an 8% growth in 2009. In light of the economic challenges faced by the USA, Japan, Germany and the UK, the current world economic crisis may allow China to catch up with the industrialised countries more quickly than originally thought by policy makers and scholars.

To determine whether this is the case requires in-depth research. It is important to review China’s development to date, to examine how China can maintain its current levels of growth, and to assess the rate of social and political change in order to establish the impact China will have on the world, and how the rest of the world will react to China’s dramatic emergence.

These questions will be addressed at the second conference of the International Forum for Contemporary Chinese Studies (IFCCS), organised by the School of Contemporary Chinese Studies at the University of Nottingham along with its China Policy Institute and the Nottingham Confucius Institute. The aim of the Forum is to bring together key research institutions, scholars, policy-makers and industry leaders world-wide to facilitate the exchange of research and policy ideas related to China and its relations with the rest of the world.

The inaugural conference of the IFCCS held at the University of Nottingham in November 2008 was attended by 150 delegates from 17 countries. Chinese State Councillor LIU Yandong attended the opening ceremony with a 40-strong government delegation including eight ministers. Nottingham’s School of Contemporary Chinese Studies is one of the leading centres of contemporary Chinese studies in Europe.

The second IFCCS Conference will be held 7-9 September 2009 at the University of Nottingham.

2. Themes

Scholars and PhD students are invited to submit papers on the following themes for the four parallel sessions at the conference:

Global economic recession and China’s response
Science, technology, innovation and sustainable development
Politics, social justice, civil society and governance
China’s rise and international relations

Additional panels will be held on the following areas of research:

Survey findings from the second national agricultural census (with the National Bureau of Statistics of China)
Ecological restoration, poverty alleviation and farmer innovation in western China (with China Agricultural University)
Worldwide development of Confucius Institutes (with Fudan University)
Interdisciplinary perspectives on ecological restoration and sustainable development in the Loess Plateau (with Chinese Academy of Sciences)
The impact of the global economic recession on migrant workers in China and on Chinese migrants in Europe (with International Labour Office, to be confirmed)
Contributions of civil society organisations to local governance innovation
Communication developments and the implications for Chinese politics
Economic globalisation and Chinese law
Chinese business and the global financial crisis
China and the EU: partnership or divergence of interests?
Panels designed for PhD students

3. Guest Speakers

The following leading figures and prominent scholars have been invited to address the conference, including:

Professor XU Kuangdi, President of the Chinese Academy of Engineering
Her Excellency, Mme FU Ying, Ambassador of China to the UK
Professor David Greenaway, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nottingham (confirmed)
Professor RAO Zihe, President of Nankai University, Tianjing (confirmed)Professor Peter Nolan, University of Cambridge (confirmed)
Professor Keping Yu, Deputy Director, Central Translation Bureau, Beijing.
Professor Shulei Li, Vice President, Central Party School, Beijing
Professor Dilip Nachane, Director, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, India (confirmed)
Professor Francis Snyder, London School of Economics (confirmed)
Dr Kerry Brown, Senior Fellow, Chatham House, London

4. Conference organising committee:

Professor Shujie Yao (Chairman, University of Nottingham)
Mr Richard Pascoe (University of Nottingham)
Dr Bin Wu (University of Nottingham)
Dr Zhengxu Wang (University of Nottingham)
Professor Yongsheng Zhu (Fudan University)

Conference secretary general, Dr Bin WU (bin.wu@nottingham.ac.uk)
Conference administrator, Davina Malcolm (davina.malcolm@nottingham.ac.uk)

5. Academic Advisory Committee:

Professor Peter HO, University of Groningen, the Netherlands
Professor Xiaoyun LI, China Agricultural University, China
Professor Hong LIU, Manchester University, UK
Professor Liping SUN, Tsinghua University, China
Professor Huiyao WANG, China Western Returned Scholars Association, China
Professor Fulong WU, Cardiff University, UK
Professor Dali Yang, The University of Chicago, USA
Professor Xianguo YAO, Zhejiang University, China
Professor Suisheng ZHAO, University of Denver, USA
Professor Jun ZHANG, Fudan University, China
Professor Yongjin ZHANG, Bristol University, UK

6. Outcomes

Two edited volumes and a special issue of a leading China journal are under consideration for publication from the first IFCCS conference. For the second IFCCS conference, the academic advisory committee will be in charge of selecting suitable topics and papers prior to the Conference. Selected papers will first be published as working papers in the China Policy Institute’s online Discussion Paper Series, and considered for compilation into edited volumes by a leading publisher and for special issues of leading international journals.

7. Registration

Delegates should register online or send a completed registration form to the conference organisers by post or email. The standard registration fee is £95. A discounted rate for early registration is available at £70 for those who register before 31 July 2009. The registration fee for PhD students is £40.

8. Deadlines

Submission of abstracts of no more than 300 words 30 June 2009
Notification of acceptance of abstract 10 July 2009
Early registration (online or by email) 31 July 2009
The draft programme 6 August 2009
Submission of full papers 28 August 2009

9. Contact

For abstract/paper submission: ifccs2@nottingham.ac.uk
For enquiries and further details: Dr Bin Wu, bin.wu@nottingham.ac.uk
Web address: www.nottingham.ac.uk/chinese