Junior Scholar Workshop and Conference

The junior scholar workshop and conference "Knowledge, Power and Prestige: Education in Modern and Contemporary China" is part of the Freie Universität Berlin’s initiative "International Network University", which fosters a strategic partnership between Freie Universität Berlin, Peking University and St. Petersburg State University.

The workshop / conference will take place at Freie Universität Berlin from Oct. 10th to 11th, 2014. It provides a unique chance to bring together renowned researchers and junior scholars who are working on a wider variety of topics in regard to education in modern and contemporary China. Most importantly, it gives junior scholars the chance to present their work to leading scholars, profit from cross-disciplinary discussion and constructive comments and build up a network of future cooperation.

In 2014, the workshop / conference will be held for the second time. It will focus on the role of and the problems associated with education in 20th and 21st century China. The theme of education in modern and contemporary China allows for the inclusion of various disciplinary and methodological approaches, while specifically focusing on three main issues:

Knowledge:

How did and does the system of education contribute to the rise of new forms and norms of knowledge in Chinese society? What is the role of these forms of knowledge in the Chinese modernization process?

Power:

When it comes to education in modern and contemporary China, what are the power relations between old and new forms of education, between local and foreign influences, between the state and the individual?

Prestige:

What are the social, cultural and political conditions contributing to the desire not only for education, but for prestigious education in China? Furthermore, what are the individual and social implications of this phenomenon?

Application and Contact

To apply for participation, please send a proposal for a conference paper (1-2 pages) and a CV to the conference organizer, Isabel Heger (i.heger@fu-berlin.de), before August 15th. Proposals should be either in English or Chinese.