China has undergone tremendous social transformation in the past decades as a result of rapid economic growth made possible by marketization and globalization. The newly created wealth enriched many in the urban area, but there are still plenty who cannot share much from the spectacular growth. They are the low-skilled labor, retired, disabled, unemployed, migrant workers from rural areas and other disadvantage groups. This sub-theme intends to understand the dynamics of China’s social transformation and investigate possible reaction from the perspective of policy formation. The study will involve network of scholars in China and overseas and bring in new perspectives, insights into current problems and their policy implications.

The transformation of everyday practices of Chinese societies in the areas of culture and value, health and wellbeing; gender and sex relations, social media and communication, and youth and education is tremendous following its spectacular development. Arising issues due to the emergence of cultural and social change in contemporary China, including but not limiting to, new mobile communication practices, consumption, changing lifestyles, etc. should be addressed.

It examines the rapid change of political reform and institutional changes in China, aiming to bring scholarly advancement to the field of China studies, especially on the study of China’s evolving political institutions and national policy formulation on the macro development framework for the future development of China.

Greater China comprises various actors who are facing different political, economic and social challenges while interfacing with regional and global key players in the international order. The focus on inter-Greater China interaction would be timely to form a fundamental analysis for formulating a long-term strategy in China development and international relationship as the world’s next superpower.

It seeks to explore how the emergence of China as a global power has affected regional and world governance across the spheres of international environment, economy, education, religion and security. China’s rapid rise as a global power has created tremendous impacts upon the Asia Pacific and the global economy as well as politics today. Its increasing power and changing international behavior pose great challenges to the existing world order. This pillar will examine not only China’s changing international behavior but also the role it played historically as a means of comparison and the future position China may take. It will critically evaluate how and what major strategies that the Chinese government has adopted in response to the growing challenges of globalization through transforming its economic system from plan to market. Emphasis will be placed on the social, economic and political consequences of market reforms taking place at home and how they affect China’s international behavior. It will go beyond analyzing China’s economic success to critically investigate whether and how the rise of China would create threats and opportunities to other countries in the globalizing world.

It aims providing critical knowledge on the rise of China in a global context, especially with regards to one belt one road development and provides reflection on profound social, economic, political and cultural changes in the process. Researches in this theme focus on issues of globalization, migration, spatial and class re-arrangement, and social inequality of China with a comparative perspective. Issues about the development model of rapid urbanization and migration that creates social inequality between rural and urban China, income disparity among social classes, uneven development across regions, will be studied.

The development of the Greater Bay Area presents us with a rare opportunity to understand a broad range of issues, including administrative, cultural, social and geographic issues, related to an emerging economic region. It can also allow us to examine the economic, psychological and social well-being of residents in such a region. While studies within major disciplines, such as geography and sociology, can provide us with certain aspects of knowledge about these issues, the development of an economic region is a complex phenomenon, which needs to be investigated from diverse perspectives. Through this Initiative, we aim to provide interdisciplinary insights related to this emerging economic region. This Initiative will generate and extend our knowledge of regional development and enrich our discussion of evidence-based policy. First and foremost, it will focus on the following topics related to regional development: human migration, life-course adaptation, environmental sustainability, food safety, green behaviors, value changes, and population aging.

The Initiative will bring top researchers in social sciences together to engage in rigorous discussions on key issues related to the development of the Greater Bay Area. It will also benefit young scholars as its activities will foster the development of first-rate social scientists.

Members:
Dr. Wendy Y. Chen, Associate Professor, Department of Geography

Prof. Zhansheng Chen, Professor, Department of Psychology

Prof. Cecilia Cheng, Professor, Department of Psychology

Prof. Eric W.C. Fong, Professor and Chair in Sociology, Department of Sociology

Dr. Enze Han, Associate Professor, Department of Politics and Public Administration

Dr. Junxi Qian, Assistant Professor, Department of Geography

Dr. Vivian W.Q. Lou, Associate Professor, Department of Social Work and Social Administration

Dr. Bella S. Lu, Assistant Professor, Department of Social Work and Social Administration

Dr. Pui-Kwan Man, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Sociology

Dr. Wai-Hang Yee, Assistant Professor, Department of Politics and Public Administration

Chen, Zhansheng “Getting at the heart of cross-cultural differences in generosity: Explaining how individual, contextual, and cultural factors shape prosocial behavior” (HK $1,652,070)

Fong, Eric “Moving to and Working in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area among Hong Kong Residents: Intention, Experience and Settlement Outcomes” (HK$3,706,000)

Fong, Eric “A Systemic Study of Labor Dynamics in Greater Bay Area” (HK1,539,000)

Qian, Junxi.(PI) “A social and cultural geographical exploration of Anthropocene: human-land interactions, environmental governance and social experiments” (HK$ 660,000)

Qian, Junxi.(PI) China’s emerging geographies of religion: Market culture and the making of entrepreneurial religion in Mahayana Buddhism, (HK$728,102)

Qian, Junxi (PI). “Cultural mechanisms and spatial processes of local technological innovation: a cultural economic geographical perspective” (HK$690,000)

The Hub is an international research hub for contemporary China studies, seeking to bring scholarly advancement to the field of China studies, especially on the study of China’s evolving political institutions, and make national and global policy and social impact on the future development of China.

The Hub aims to serve as the strongest institution for China scholarship and research in Asia and to develop an area of excellence in the study of contemporary China so as to lead the advanced production of knowledge and policy to achieve a better understanding of the transformation of society, politics, and economy in China, as well as its rapidly changing regional and global roles.