Projects Underway

Here is a sampling of a few large-scale multi-year research projects and studies underway:

Barry Naughton is working on two large-scale research projects. The first looks at China's current technology policies, with special emphasis on electronics. The second project looks at the interaction between China's administrative hierarchy and economic policy and reforms. Both projects seek to understand the deeper implications for the U.S. and global economies of China's distinctive model of government intervention in the economy.

Tai Ming Cheung is leading a multi-year research project on the study of innovation and technology in China, including co-leading a survey project on comparing Chinese and U.S. innovation capabilities with Tsinghua University. His other projects include China’s grand strategic thinking on security and technology, and China’s civil-military relations.

Lei Guang is currently working on a project funded by the American Council of Learned Societies on the continuities and change of China’s petition system and local governments’ responsiveness or lack thereof to China’s citizen-petitioners and local conflict.

Richard Madsen's research focuses on rural life, religion, and popular culture in China. He is currently involved in two projects, one on China's religious networks, and the other on its cultural heritage as the basis of state legitimacy.

Paul Pickowicz’s main interest is the social and cultural history of 20th century China, specifically specializing in two areas of research: the first on village life in North China and the second on the history of Chinese filmmaking, including present-day underground and independent film.

Victor Shih is engaged in a study of how the coalition formation strategies of the founding leaders had a profound impact on the evolution of the Chinese Communist Party, utilizing a comprehensive database on CCP Central Committee members he has assembled. He is also conducting research on China’s exchange rate policies, local government debt, the political economy of fiscal transfers, and the long-term causes of regional growth in China, as well as the politics of ethnic policies in China.

Susan Shirk is studying how leadership politics in the Chinese Communist Party are evolving over time, and how they shape domestic policy and foreign policy. She also is conducting research on the information revolution in China: specifically, how journalism, the Internet, and social media are changing Chinese politics.

Junjie Zhang is carrying out research on evaluating the impact of international carbon market on renewable energy investment in China. He is also working on two other projects, one studying how China's system of tax revenue sharing affects the rate of sewage treatment construction in its cities, and the other testing potential data manipulation in China’s daily air pollution reporting.