From the 7th of September 2022, the Fudan-European Centre for China Studies (FECCS) will offer small grants to support researchers working on China-related topics from Nordic, Chinese and other European universities in building up research networks, in producing high-quality research in collaboration with Fudan University scholars, and in undertaking substantive fieldwork in relevant subject areas.
.png)
The Executive Vice-Director of the FECCS, Chunrong LIU, is in high spirits.
“I am very glad that we together have brought this call from concept to reality.” Having spent the last year building research networks and establishing the Fudan Centre here at UiO, Chunrong has been far from idle during the pandemic. “I am very thankful for our teamwork and to our Steering Committee. This [grant] was proposed during the last meeting of the Committee, and it sounds like a very promising tool to facilitate more China-related research and research collaboration.”
— Scholars are at the center of the stage
The Fudan-European Centre for China Studies exists to strengthen academic collaboration between Europe and China, a feat that is not always so easily accomplished. “Of course, there are always challenges here and there when it comes to cross border collaboration between China and Europe. There are cultural differences, differences in research systems and knowledge environments. I think those challenges are routine ones that researchers have managed to cope with. But there are other challenges that have grown particularly difficult over the last years.”
Still, he is very hopeful that the cold fronts will thaw as travel opens more. “I believe that the will to collaborate is there despite the challenges. In addition to the small grant initiative, we hope to play the role with thematic workshops - scholars are the center of the stage, we play a facilitative role. We can organize and make thematic workshops to identify the common research interests and help crystallize them into research projects and joint publications.”
He smiles. “We hope for a boom in visa applications. For us, we are ready to facilitate invitations for scholars interested in conducting research at Fudan.”
Connecting people
Likewise, Director of the FECCS, Rune Svarverud, is equally pleased to see activity begin to bloom. “We started at a time when there was very little activity. Chunrong has been building networks and given us a good starting point to connect Nordic and Chinese institutions together through research."
He smiles when asked about his experience with working with Chinese colleagues. “I have had great pleasure working with researchers, teachers, and research environments in China. I have been to Fudan myself and have contacts in the history department there. The most important goal for the center is to connect people and their interests, so that they can collaborate on research and applications for funding together.”
The grant has an open-ended deadline and targets especially early-career scholars. Read more about the FECCS Small Grants on the call for funding page.