China’s modernization drive in science and scholarship has led to strong domestic initiatives in many areas of science, technology, and innovation. The PRC’s position is questioned by some out of fears that China may dominate global science while others deem it impossible for an authoritarian regime to achieve scientific leadership. This monthly lecture series will cover topics on domestic scientific initiatives, the role of the state in research, how university rankings shape perceptions of academic success, innovation and scientific discourses, AI research strategies, space science and academic cooperation. Representing a variety of social science perspectives, our guest speakers will illustrate structural changes in the Chinese system of science since the post-Mao era and especially since the turn of the millennium.  

This new monthly lecture series organized by our Lise Meitner Research Group China in the Global System of Science, in cooperation with the Berlin Contemporary China Network (BCCN), will bring together fresh empirical insights and intriguing theoretical reflections about the development of the science system in the People’s Republic of China and its global integration.