Call for Papers

Graduate Seminar on Modern and Contemporary China

The Centre for China Studies of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is pleased to announce this call for papers for the Sixteenth Graduate Seminar on Modern and Contemporary China scheduled for January 4 - 5, 2024, at CUHK’s Institute of Chinese Studies.

The Seminar theme is “Land in China, 1900-2024.” We welcome paper proposals on subjects from across the spectrum of environmental, economic, political, legal, social, ideological and cultural approaches to examining changes of the land in China over the last century until today. All disciplines and theoretical frameworks will be considered, provided the papers are based on original, empirical research. We will not accept papers on preliminary work, potential future projects, or of a primarily speculative nature.

We aim to facilitate academic exchange between Chinese and overseas scholars by ensuring a suitable balance of representation from both groups. The working languages of the Seminar are Chinese and English. Participants are welcome to undertake research in our well-known University Library USC Collection and Archives on Post-1949 China prior to and following the Seminar.

Application Procedure
All Ph.D. candidates (ABDs) and new Ph.D. degree holders (within 5 years of graduation) who are doing research on issues relating to land in modern and contemporary China are eligible to apply. Please click here to apply by July 3, 2023.

In addition to assisting with booking affordable and convenient lodging during the Seminar, we will provide some travel subsidies to participants.

The selection result will be announced to applicants by August 14, 2023.

For inclusion in the Seminar selected full papers will have to be submitted by December 1, 2023.

The Seminar sessions are open to the public. All are welcome!

The Conference Organizers
This event continues the Seminar which has since 2005 been organized at CUHK by the Universities Service Centre for China Studies (USC) with support from our Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation Asia-Pacific Centre for Chinese Studies. In the wake of the extended hiatus on in-person events due to Covid-19 and the closure of the USC, CUHK has launched a major reorganization intent on, first, ensuring the preservation and enhanced public accessibility of the USC Collection on Post-1949 China within the University Library; and, second, on expanding research activities and events on modern and contemporary China under the auspices of the Institute of Chinese Studies in cooperation with the multiple research units and academic departments in which our more than seventy fulltime modern and contemporary China specialist scholars are based.

The Centre for China Studies is an interdisciplinary teaching-unit with its own faculty that offers undergraduate, MA, MPhil and PhD degree programmes. It is committed to continuing this Graduate Seminar’s tradition of fostering exchange among young Chinese and international scholars and providing opportunities to enhance promising modern and contemporary China research projects at the pre-publication stage. The Graduate Seminar is supported by the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation Asia-Pacific Centre for Chinese Studies, and is co-organized with the Institute for Chinese Studies.