Conferences

Each year, the Center organizes an academic conference focused on topics consistent with the mission to study contemporary China. These annual conferences focus on themes proposed by Penn faculty and will feature leading experts on contemporary China from institutions around the world who will present original research papers and serve as discussants. Conference papers will be revised for publication— in edited volumes, special issues of academic journals, and/or working papers issued by the Center. The CSCC’s Executive Committee will evaluate proposals for organizing each academic year’s annual conference. Penn faculty may submit proposals to cscc-contact@sas.upenn.edu. Proposals are accepted on a rolling basis with a decision about the following year’s conference announced no later than April 30. If there is more than one outstanding proposal, or two complementary proposals, the Executive Committee could decide to fund two conferences for consecutive years. It is also possible that less expensive or smaller scale conferences in some years would permit funding more than one.

The conferences, the research that precedes them and the publications that follow them will contribute significantly to the quantity, quality and prominence of Penn-centered research on contemporary China, including especially the research agendas of Penn faculty in the field. Unless special circumstances make it impractical, attendance at the CSCC annual conferences is open to Penn faculty, staff, and students who are encouraged to participate in reading the papers and engaging the authors in the question and answer sessions that will follow the presentations. Penn graduate or advanced undergraduate students who are interested in playing a more active in the conference (e.g., as paper discussants, research assistants serving as rapporteurs, or helping to prepare conference proceedings for dissemination) should contact the CSCC at cscc-contact@sas.upenn.edu