The IDS China Centre, part of the IDS International Initiatives, provides research focus on a country transforming global geopolitics due to its strategic importance, role in the global south and its commitment to development. It recognises that tackling universal challenges such as climate change, poverty and injustice requires knowledge sharing, mutual learning, and collaboration inclusive of diverse perspectives within China and about China globally.
The IDS China Centre brings together researchers from within and outside of China to share, learn and work with a wide network of policy makers, governments, civil society, and the private sector. By better understanding fast emerging perspectives, the Centre aims to strengthen development thinking and practice, moving beyond OECD perspectives to include multiple, diverse voices that can inform policy decision making. It aims to create a platform for open dialogue that strengthens development thinking and practice including policy impact and the generation of actionable solutions.
The IDS China Centre includes a network of mutual partnerships with research, learning, teaching and policy work underway. Its research focus includes China and global governance, global health systems, climate change and energy transition, tax, and digital development. It is part of an evolving global network of IDS International Initiatives that includes Brazil, Europe, Ghana and Pakistan with emerging opportunities for global learning through shared experience.
Context
China has become a major force for global development in recent years, while its approach to global engagement has changed rapidly and fundamentally. New institutions and strategic initiatives – such as the Asian Infrastructure and Investment Bank, Belt and Road Initiative and China International Development Cooperation Agency- are being promoted at central government, and are driving changes in the practices of actors across the Chinese system. China has also become an important source of direct foreign investment in many countries.
Work with us
We are actively developing networks of thought leaders and actors to develop and secure funding for the following:
- Convening roundtables and workshops on themes relating to China’s developmental engagement in the global south.
- Convening multi-stakeholder meetings with participants from China and Global South countries to bring together researchers, government officials, private companies and civil society organisations.
- Organising exchanges of senior researchers and policy analysts to take forward thinking of key development issues, including analyses of China’s development experience.
- Organising training and or collaboration between Chinese, UK and Global South teaching activities, particularly regarding China’s role in south-south cooperation and global governance.
- Producing information products on aspects of China’s developmental engagement and cooperation in the global South in the format of technical reports, briefing notes, interviews with key thinkers, etc.
If you are interested in working with us, please contact Jing Gu.
Partnership examples in China
China’s role in Global Development
IDS hosts the Centre for Rising Powers and Global Development which was launched jointly with the Development Research Center and China International Development Research Network (CIDRN) in Beijing in 2015. The Centre is at the forefront of research and policy analysis, helping to connect research expertise worldwide in exploring new ways to address global development challenges. It builds on the work undertaken by the Rising Powers in International Development (RPID) Programme, which produced a number of influential publications on the rapidly changing roles of the BRICS in global development. IDS has become the UK Anchor Institute for the CIDRN. CIDRN is hosted by the China Agricultural University, with whom we have a Memorandum of Understanding and have also collaborated through the ESRC-Funded project, China and Brazil in African Agriculture. Other key partners in this sector include Peking University, Tsinghua University, Shanghai Institute of International Studies, and Fudan University.
Renewable Energy
Our work on environmental governance and low carbon transformation is strengthened by partnerships with North China Electric Power University, Central University of Economics and Finance, Tsinghua University and Beijing Normal University. BNU also hosts the STEPS Centre’s China hub of the Pathways to Sustainability Global Consortium.
Global Health
IDS’s work on global health is in partnership with the China National Health and Development Research Centre (CNHDRC) and the Department of Public Health of Peking University, including through the China-UK Antibiotic drug discovery hub project.
