MIT International Comittee of

Critical Policy Studies of China

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Upcoming Events and Current Research

2007 International Conference on “Information Technology and Social Responsibility”

For updates and current research please click here.

2005 Boston Seminars

Location: MIT E51-278

Civil Societies

March 4, Friday: 9:30-11:00 a.m.

Rural reconstruction movements & fiscal crisis

April 22, Friday: 9:30-11:00 a.m. (Rescheduled)

2nd International Workshop

Location: Beijing, China

Third Space of the 'Commons'

July 28-31, 2005

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What is meant by Critical Policy Studies?

The bringing together of academics from two "fields" of China Studies (cultural studies and policy studies) who appreciate that the other field may be of interest intellectually in tandem and are prepared to work together toward an experimental fusion of the two designated fields of knowledge despite differences in perspective and creative tensions in the process.

Mission Statement

• To build a knowledge interface between those various disciplines in the Humanities, the Social Sciences, and professional schools from the shared angle of our mutual interest in developing an innovative policy studies not confined within the positivist frame of quantitative analysis.
• To build up a knowledge interface between scholars and policy makers and analysts from the PRC. Through structured discussions, we hope to influence the perception of both groups (policy makers and scholars) on three sets of larger issues:
  1. Governance
  2. China’s role in trans-boundary Asian development policies
  3. China’s possible contributions to international policy regimes.
• To explore new critical paradigms in Chinese Studies through our exploration of the interface between policies studies and the studies of Chinese history, culture, society, politics, and economy. Critical policy studies defined in our scope has thus far been a missing link in Chinese studies.

Policy areas to investigate

• Poverty Alleviation
• Environment and Energy
• Technology Media
• Reform of state-owned enterprises

We encourage participants to bring the trajectories of gender and ethnic minorities into our discussion of each of the designated policy areas.

Overarching theme for 2005-2008:
"Western Problem Consciousness and Chinese Problems"
(西方问题意识与中 国问题)

• 2005-2006 annual theme: The "Public" and "Private" Divide in the Reform Policies of the PRC
• 2006-2007 annual theme: The Impact of the International Development Aid Organizations on Policy Making and Policy Discourses in the PRC
• 2007-2008 annual theme: Inequalities and Social Justice