About the Postgraduate Research Summer Schools (PGSS)

Postgraduate Summer Schools in Chinese Studies

The Postgraduate Summer Schools provide research training in Chinese studies for PhD students and junior researchers from the UK, other EU member and associated states, China, Australia and North America.

"PGSS broadened my view on current Chinese studies research" - PGSS 2008 trainee

The focus of the Postgraduate Research Summer School is on modern and contemporary Chinese history and analysis of Chinese society and politics - the most dynamic areas of academic interest of our age. PGSS aims to enhance research capacity on Chinese society, Chinese politics, and modern and contemporary Chinese history through training in research approaches, academic judgement, scholarly interaction and critique of postgraduate research. In this way, the Summer Schools help to facilitate future global collaboration and exchange in social science, and modern and contemporary Chinese history.

The formats for each of the Summer Schools are:

• short thematic introductions by keynote speakers;
• small peer-group seminars led by experienced researchers;
• task-based group work; and
• research-relevant excursions or hands-on training workshops.

Approaches include discussion, reporting, semi-structured interview, qualitative and quantitative analyses, and oral and written feedback. Keynote speakers with different research profiles and interests function as both facilitators and trainers, interacting with participants in various ways.

"PGSS was well organised... We had lots of chances to exchange ideas with professors and students" - PGSS 2008 trainee

The next Postgraduate Summer School in Chinese Studies: Changing Urbanities will be held at Nanjing University, China in July 2010.

Background

The Postgraduate Summer Schools run as a series of annual sessions. Each Summer School covers a different theme:

• July 2006 (Nanjing, China): China and Globalisation in Historical Perspective
• July 2007 (Leeds, UK): China, Globalisation and Social Stratification
• July 2008 (Bristol, UK): China, Europe and the World
• July 2009 (Oslo, Norway): China Global: Nation State and Ethnicity
• July 2010 (Nanjing, China): Changing Urbanities

Of these sites, Nanjing is historically significant as the birthplace of the Chinese Republic in 1911 and later China’s capital from 1927 to 1937 and from 1945 to 1949. Leeds and Oslo are established centres that have several decades of achievement in Chinese studies. Bristol represents the recent expanding interest in modern Chinese Studies.

The Postgraduate Summer Schools are organised by a steering committee made up of Chinese and European researchers. The first four Summer Schools were made possible through financing from the European Union Marie Curie Conferences and Training Courses, while the latter received funding from the Research Councils UK. The whole series was initiated and sustained with support from the Worldwide University Network (WUN).

For more information about PGSS, please contact us.

Written by Halima Chen Wednesday, 19 November 2008 15:40