By Jiayi Wei, Class of 2026
On June 21, the Governance in China and Beyond Conference was successfully held on the DKU campus. Co-hosted by two academic clusters under the Center for the Study of Contemporary China (CSCC)—Governing China and China and the Global South—the forum brought together eight distinguished scholars from leading institutions including The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Zhejiang University, Fudan University, Tsinghua University, and Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University.
Aiming to deepen critical inquiry into China’s governance and global role by bridging perspectives across institutions and disciplines, the event featured eight keynote presentations, each offering rigorous scholarship and comparative perspectives. Topics ranged from authoritarian resilience and elite politics to development strategies and international diplomacy, providing a concentrated dose of fresh insights and critical debate. Presentation highlights included:
“Inducing Signals of Loyalty at the Risk of Entanglement”
Dr. Jacque Gao (The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen) analyzed how authoritarian regimes maintain loyalty amid shifting global economic conditions.
“Intervention in the Shadow of Leadership Turnover”
Dr. Liqun Liu (Shanghai Jiao Tong University) used game theory to examine government intervention under political uncertainty.
“Subdue the Enemy Without Fighting: Understanding How Governments Peacefully Fragment Insurgents Organizations”
Dr. Ruolin Su (Shanghai Jiao Tong University) and PhD Candidate Annabel Lau (Fudan University) offered a political psychology perspective on how governments non-violently dismantle insurgent groups.
“Private Returns to Bureaucratic Appointments: Evidence from Financial Disclosures in India”
Dr. Song Yuan (Zhejiang University) examined how bureaucratic appointments relate to personal gains through evidence from Indian financial data.
“Long Live the Revolution! Violent Origins and Elite Cohesion During Regime Crises”
Dr. Qingjie Zeng (Fudan University) traced how revolutionary origins contribute to elite unity during regime crises.
“Power Orchestrates: How Leadership Shapes National Representation in International Organizations”
Prof. Jidong Chen (Tsinghua University) explored how leadership influences national presence in international organizations.
“Unity or Divergence: Rising Powers and Their Solidarity with the Global South in the United Nations General Assembly”
Dr. Fanglu Sun (Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University) investigated how countries like China align—or diverge—with the Global South in the UN General Assembly.
“The Rise of China’s Techno-Resource Developmentalism: Techno-Resource Governance and Economic Statecraft in the Critical Mineral Sector”
Dr. Tian He (Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University) analyzed how China leverages technology and resource governance in global economic competition.
Beyond the academic depth of the presentations, the event offered valuable face-to-face interaction among speakers and attendees. The Q&A sessions sparked lively discussion on topics such as “technology and governance” and “diplomatic consistency in emerging powers.” During coffee breaks, students engaged informally with the speakers on research design, methodological choices, and data challenges, creating a dynamic atmosphere of mentorship and exchange.
Several invited speakers also shared informally over lunch that DKU—and CSCC in particular—has become an important platform for open academic exchange in the region. They noted that events like this, which encourage cross-institutional dialogue, are not always easy to organize at their home institutions, making DKU’s role in facilitating such conversations especially meaningful.
This collaborative initiative reflects CSCC’s core mission to foster world-class research on the society, politics, and economy of contemporary China, while promoting interdisciplinary exchange and global engagement. The CSCC looks forward to hosting future events that continue to promote scholarly dialogue and critical thinking across disciplines.
