China’s Innovation: From Where It Came and to Where It Will Go?

By Professors Yutao Sun and Cong Cao China’s innovative capacity has been on the rise and China’s innovation system is still state-led. However, when we talk about “China’s innovation” in a knowledge-based and globalized economy, we have to first figure out what “China” and “innovation” mean. Specifically, we need to call into question things such …

China’s Expanding Mobile Cyberspace – Endless Disruption Opportunities

By Gary Zhenyuan, SCCS Summer School Participant. The daily life of Chinese citizens is significantly more convenient today, thanks to the integration of mobile internet into key activities. In 2011, China had 513 million internet users. Within 5 years, Chinese outbound international bandwidth rose from 1.39M Mbps to 3.78M Mbps – this is an incredible …

Mental Health in China – A Westerner’s perspective

By Nicola Swain, Student of UNNC Summer School 2015. Around the world we are becoming increasingly more aware of the impact of mental health problems on people and society. In the UK it is predicted that 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem at some point. In China less is known about …

China and I

By Samuel Tholley, Student at Nottingham University Ningbo Summer School. From a very young age I have always been fascinated with East Asian culture. Witnessing the Western portrayal of an Asia country locked in an epoch of ancient martial arts, mysticism, secrecy and staple food, accentuated by inaccurate/orientalist media, had stimulated my interest in this …

Horn Honking in China

By Nathan Cheuk, Student at Nottingham University Ningbo Summer School. There has been little doubt that recent years in China have been associated with an astounding rate of economic growth. Naturally, there has been, and will continue to be, an increase in the number of motorists on the roads as China continues to grow. Perhaps …

Cruelty or culture?

By Dr. David O’Brien, Assistant Professor, School of Contemporary Chinese Studies, The University of Nottingham Ningbo China. China’s animal right’s activists were on the march this week as opposition continues to grow towards an age-old custom. A small but vocal group of protestors travelled to the city of Yulin, in southern Guangxi to protest the …

Western Goggles and Contemporary Chinese Art

By Abigail Aikins-Hawkson, MSci Business and Economy of Contemporary China. The Contemporary Chinese art scene has become a subject of fascination for Art Critics around the world because once again, China is providing the rest of the world a situation where everybody else seems to be at standstill. Everybody else except China. As China continues …

India and China : The best of both developing countries

By Shivali Mistry, Second year MSci Hons Student in Accounting and Finance for Contemporary China, The University of Nottingham Ningbo China. Having the opportunity to experience such different lifestyles yet in the same continent has led to some pretty exciting memories in my lifetime. My first visit to India was 18 years ago and I …

Vocational education, why we need it for China’s higher education reform

By Dr. Youqing Fan, Assistant Professor at the School of Contemporary Chinese Studies, The University of Nottingham Ningbo China. China’s higher education system has long been directed towards cultivating academic talents, whilst the value of technique and skill-oriented vocational education has been downplayed. This tendency is reflected in the way that high school students are …

Fieldwork in Ningbo: getting beyond observation

By Felicity Woolf, Studying an MA in Contemporary Chinese Studies at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China. The moment has arrived when I can no longer shelter in the library, deep in theory, but must venture forth to my chosen fieldwork site and attempt to find out what is happening there and why. I have …