Group Classification
Field of Research:
SOCIAL SCIENCES - Anthropology - Social and Cultural Anthropology
About This Group!
China in Comparative Perspective Network (CCPN) -- An Advanced Study on China
The CCPN is the first of its kind in the world. As an 'advanced study on China' it encourages inter-disciplinary, inter-institutional, trans-national, and comparative approaches, and engages collaborative studies with academic, government, business and public on China in its Asian and global contexts. Its academic activities embrace a taught course, a journal, a laboratory for fostering researchers, a global network on networking, a Europe-China collaborative study base, a News and Events section, and a wide variety of Online resources.
In accordance with the policies of the Third stream as second mission ('anything other than research and teaching, the two core elements of University activity', HEFCE 2006) and the 'A Vision for Science and Society' (DIUS 2008), the CCPN additionally serves as a place where knowledge transfer and public engagement between ‘science and society’ can be exercised. This is facilitated by the diverse methods and resources found on the website, such as the sections China-Europe Dialogue, China Development Forum, Public Debate, Research Interests Blog, Discussion Board, and Facebook.
LSE is a research-intensive social science university. Its institutional mission is 'to continue to enhance its position as the leading academic centre of international excellence in the social sciences'. China is the only country for which LSE's representation is explicitly managed by the External Relations Division (see LSE China and LSE and China). This signifies how important China is to LSE. However, as a discipline-oriented institution LSE doesn't focus on area studies, thus, China studies, as such, does not exist at LSE.
In responding to LSE's innovative interdisciplinary methodological lecture series 'Thinking like a social scientist' we developed the approach of 'advanced studies on China'. In order to advance studies on China at LSE and to continue its mission 'to enhance its position as the leading academic centre of international excellence in the social sciences' we have created 'China in comparative perspective'. By this we mean the use of the case of China as a comparator to compare, contemporarily and historically, with other countries or regions in interdisciplinary, multiple engagements, cross institutions, and translational approaches for advancing general knowledge. We are also developing an optional course 'Introduction to Advanced Study on China' which will cover methodology and more general topics.
The CCPN was initiated by scholars from the Asia Research Centre and the Department of Anthropology of the London School of Economics. The Network is affiliated to the Department of Anthropology but is not confined to anthropologists. The CCPN enlists nearly two dozen LSE China experts from different disciplines as core members, Academic Advisory Committee members, or Editorial Board members of the Journal of China in Comparative Perspective. The CCPN engages principally with the following departments and institutions: Anthropology, Development Studies, Economic History, Economics, Finance, Government, International History, International Relations, Law, Management, Media and Communication, Social Policy, Sociology, Statistics.
The CCPN aims to become a world-class locus for research on issues or themes relating to China in comparative perspective. We are multi-disciplinary and anticipate to link and pool the expertise of all experts on China seeking comparative and inter-disciplinary approaches to China-related topics.
The CCPN is directed by Professor Stephan Feuchtwang, coordinated by Dr Xiangqun Chang in close collaboration with Dr Goncalo D. Santos and Dr Sergey Radchenko, and supported by an Academic Advisory Committee which consists of groups of scholars based at LSE, in London, UK, China, Asia, Europe, USA and Australia.
