Changing perspectives; 

towards conditions for sustainable EU-China collaboration  

A study for

China Knowledge Network

commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of Education Culture & Science (leading)

and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (co-sponsoring)

Rationale

Given geopolitical tensions which have deteriorated EU-China collaborations on the one hand and the need to continue collaboration for the sake of finding solutions to global challenges on the other…..

Clearly a new balance and renewed conditions for sustainable EU-China collaboration should be found. 

To that end it is crucial to understand China’s mid-long-term perspective and policies at both governmental and institutional (university) levels. 

Aims

This project aims to contribute to a better understanding of China’s perspectives and policies at both governmental and institutional (university) levels.

And thus inform Dutch policy makers and social partners in their decision making and strategic planning in scientific collaboration with and talent recruitment from China    

It will do so by taking the EU policy context (“open strategic autonomy”) and the current EU-China agreements into account.    

While looking at policy directions of some major partner countries and relevant players within the EU

focusing on the balance sought between both challenges and opportunities in collaboration with China.

And frameworks / directives guiding towards conditions for sustainable EU-China collaboration.      

Key questions

What is China’s long-term perspective on scientific collaboration with the EU?   

• What motives, vision, and governmental policies are guiding Chinese universities and research organisations?

• How do Chinese universities perceive and analyze the changing internal conditions and external global dynamics, the changes in talent flows and knowledge networks?

• How are they planning to operate in the changing context?

 What in the EU-China context is particularly relevant for Dutch policies in HE and R&D?   

• On what basis: bilateral / multilateral?

• And concerning what levels of education (ba/ma/PhD) and of R&D (fundamental / applied)?

What can be learned from other EU countries in terms of rebalancing challenges and opportunities in collaboration with China. 

In particular the practical frameworks (directives) that could guide towards conditions for sustainable EU-China collaboration. 

Research team

Prof. dr. Marijk van der Wende (Utrecht University) (coordinator)

Dr. Yuzhuo Cai (University of Tampere)

Dr. Qiao Con-Rui (independent expert)

Dr. Peter Gill (independent expert)

Dr. Cristina Pinna (University of Groningen)

Dr. Lin Tian (Hunan University)

Dr. Shen Wenqin (Peking University) 

• Dr. Yuzhuo Cai (University of Tampere) Dr. Qiao Con-Rui (independent expert) Dr. Peter Gill (independent expert) Dr. Cristina Pinna (University of Groningen) Dr. Lin Tian (Hunan University) Dr. Shen Wenqin (Peking University)

Openness challenged: the university at risk? - Institutions for Open Societies 

Openness is a necessary condition for universities to compete and collaborate internationally, to contribute to an open society, to global challenges, and the public good. However, openness cannot any longer be taken for granted in the changing global context. Rising geo-political tensions, security concerns, illiberal trends, internal tensions in the EU, jeopardize institutional autonomy, academic freedom and potentially weaken the university’s ability to play its role as a core institution of the open society.  Read more: Openness challenged the university at risk.pdf

Past events:

• Launch of Openness Challenged University at Risk 29 sept 2022.pdf by Marijk van der Wende (UU)
• Dialogue 1 The Role of Universities in Promoting Democracy.pdf 29 Sept 2022 with John Douglass (UC Berkeley) based on his recent book: Neo-Nationalism and Universities: Populists, Autocrats and the Future of Higher Education. John’s Hopkins University Press, 2021 (open access) and James Kennedy (UU) 
• Dialogue 2 Academic Freedom in the EU - a legal perspective.pdf   22 November 2022 (11.00-12.30 hrs)  With  Kurt Deketelaere (KULeuven) & Sacha Garben (College d’Europe). Discussant: Lavinia Kortese (UU) 
• Dialogue 3: Current threats viewed from 200 years of university history 12 December 2022 (12.30-14.00 hrs) with William Kirby (Harvard University) launching his new book Empires of Ideas. Creating the Modern University from Germany to America to China, Harvard University Press, 2022.  Discussant: Paul Ziche (UU).  

The project aims to explore and explain the differences in the perception and implementation of internationalisation as manifest in the academic disciplines and 
professional fields, as a way to improve our understanding of internationalization and to better inform institutional policy.

To this end, a refined (new) conceptual model is being developed to be explored and tested in a range of disciplinary and professional fields

• dr. Renze Kolster

See projectwebsite 

Published in: China and Europe on the New Silk Road: Connecting Universities Across Eurasia. Edited by Marijk van der Wende, William C. Kirby, Nian Cai Liu, and Simon Marginson. Oxford University Press, 2020.