Centre for Contemporary Chinese Studies
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About the Centre for Contemporary Chinese Studies (CCCS)
CCCS was established in the Asia Institute in the Faculty of Arts at the beginning of 2013, with a focus on research and engagement. The Centre plays a vital role in shaping an Australian approach to the study of contemporary China and serves as a significant source of research-based information on China, Chinese societies and Chinese economies in the 21st century.
Mission
CCCS’s mission is to facilitate high-quality research, teaching and engagement at the University of Melbourne that furthers our understanding of China’s ongoing transformation and the impacts within and beyond China. The Centre enhances Australia’s bilateral partnerships with top Chinese universities and acts as a hub for contemporary China studies in Melbourne.
CCCS objectives
In pursuing the CCCS mission, our specific objectives are:
Objective 1: To lead Chinese Studies at the University of Melbourne by drawing together and highlighting the China-related expertise of colleagues from the Asia Institute, the Faculty of Arts, and across the University. CCCS is first and foremost a platform for encouraging and facilitating the University’s China-related research, teaching, and engagement.
Objective 2: To actively collaborate with leading Chinese and international institutions, conducting excellent interdisciplinary research, research training, teaching and engagement activities, and supporting the development of new China-related initiatives.
Objective 3: To provide strategic support to the University by actively assisting with the development and realisation of the Engaging with China Plan 2020-2024 and other strategies aimed at enhanced engagement with China and the Asia-Pacific region.
People
In this section you can find details of CCS leadership (Directors and Advisory Board) and team members (researchers, members, associates and honorary fellows)
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Directors
Information about current and founding CCCS Directors
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Advisory Board
Members and Honorary Members of the CCCS Advisory Board
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Our researchers
Information about our CCCS researchers
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CCCS Members (University of Melbourne)
Information about CCCS Members
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CCCS Associates and Honorary Fellows
Information about CCCS Associates and Honorary Fellows
Contact CCCS
- Address
- Sidney Myer Asia Centre (Building 158)
The University of Melbourne
761 Swanston Street VIC 3010 Australia - china-centre@unimelb.edu.au
- Phone
- +61 3 8344 3758
The Centre for Contemporary Chinese Studies (CCCS) welcomes applications from students wishing to study for a Doctor of Philosophy – Arts (Phd) in Chinese Studies by research
Study with us
As the University of Melbourne’s hub for Chinese Studies, the Centre provides students with an interdisciplinary, collaborative and rigorous research environment to pursue their interests. Addressing the challenges and opportunities of the Asian Century necessitates a closer understanding of and partnership with China on a number of fronts. Understanding contemporary China is part of defining the contours of economic cooperation, such as through trade and investment and taxes; political collaboration such as effective diplomacy and sustainable security; and social connection through building peer-to-peer linkages and addressing shared social challenges such as an ageing population.
The Centre welcomes enquiries from graduate students with the requisite analytical skills in the social sciences who wish to pursue PhD thesis topics on contemporary China’s economy, politics, society and environment. Our team of early career and established researchers can supervise students on topics including economic development, public finance, public administration, governance, trade and security, social policy (health, education, housing), urbanisation (land use, zoning, rural-to-urban migration), agricultural development, environmental management and other topics.
Initial enquiries should be directed to china-centre@unimelb.edu.au.
Scholarships
Applicants should consider the Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Stipend Scholarship and other scholarship opportunities available at the University. For more information please see the Scholarships Graduate Research Scholarships web page and the Faculty of Arts Graduate research scholarships web page.
Oriental Studies Trust Fund
The Oriental Studies Trust Fund – Centre for Contemporary Chinese Studies Scholarship is a living allowance to be awarded annually to students who have applied for admission to or are currently enrolled in a PhD degree at the University of Melbourne on a topic related to public policy, economics and society related to Chinese public policy.
Applications for this scholarship are not currently open. For more information please email China Centre.
China Scholarship Council – University of Melbourne PhD Scholarship
This scholarship was established by the Chinese Scholarship Council and the University of Melbourne to promote international collaboration and is awarded to citizens of the People’s Republic of China wishing to undertake a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree at the University of Melbourne.
More information can be found on the China Scholarship Council – University of Melbourne PhD Scholarship web page.
Taiwan Ministry of Education APEC Scholarship
The Ministry of Education in Taiwan is partnering with universities to offer a scholarship to students of the member economies of APEC for a PhD candidate or postdoctoral research fellow.
More information
Further details are available on the APEC Education Portal.
Enquiries should be emailed to australia@mail.moe.gov.tw
Chinese Studies Research Group
The Chinese Studies Research Group (CSRG) meets several times a year on Fridays to discuss and share ideas and experiences relating to researching China. We also hold regular Research Days to provide Chinese Studies researchers with the opportunity to share their knowledge.
Overview
The research areas of our participants are very broad and include, for example: Ming Dynasty history, contemporary politics, Buddhist writings, environmental management, traditional music, anthropology, Christian missionaries, applied linguistics, urban property, education, popular culture and media, etc.
The Group encourages all graduate students and academics, regardless of their disciplinary area, who are working on or researching on or about China to join as a member.
CSRG committee and contacts
President
Wendee Zhang
PhD candidate, School of Geography
Email: wenjingz8@student.unimelb.edu.au
Secretary
Yue Zhao
PhD candidate, School of Geography
Email: yuezhao4@student.unimelb.edu.au
Treasurer
Luke Yin
PhD candidate, School of Historical and Philosophical Studies
Email: lukeyin966@gmail.com
Wendee Zhang
PhD candidate, School of Geography
Email: wenjingz8@student.unimelb.edu.au
Media officer
Linna Geng
PhD candidate, School of Civil Engineering
Email: lgge@student.unimelb.edu.au
Program officer
Bruce Nan
PhD candidate, School of BioSciences
Email: b.nan@student.unimelb.edu.au
Committee member
Luke Yin
PhD candidate, School of Historical and Philosophical Studies
Email: lukeyin966@gmail.com
More information
- To become a member of the Group, please email the CSRG
- The Chinese Studies Research Group is affiliated to the University of Melbourne Graduate Student Association (GSA)
- Download a copy of the CSRG constitution (335kb pdf)
- View the archived version of the CSRG website, with information dating back to 2004
The Centre provides a focal point for China-related research across the University of Melbourne and leads an inter-disciplinary program on contemporary Chinese public policy, economics, environment, and society.
Understanding contemporary China
Our four research themes are:
- Governance, public policy, and domestic economy
- Agriculture and environment
- Civil society and social change
- Global China
Recent publications by Centre staff can be found on our Staff publications web page.
Open access Research Briefs summarise the latest research from our staff and other scholars of contemporary China.
The Centre also supports the Chinese Studies Research Group.
A poverty resettlement project in Shaanxi Province – Sarah Rogers, 2018.
An NGO-led eco-tourism and local capacity building project in Amdo, southern Gansu Province – Fengshi Wu, 2018.
Coffee plantation adjacent to the Nu River, Yunnan Province – Zoe Wang, 2017
Resettlement village near the Bui dam in Ghana – Xiao Han, 2015.
Research Briefs are a publication from the Centre for Contemporary Chinese Studies. The briefs offer analysis of recent developments in China and an introduction to current academic research.
Aim of Research Briefs
The Research Briefs are distributed to our academic, government and business networks. They are aimed at a general audience with an interest in China, and aim to tell a coherent story about a topic of general interest.
If you are interested in receiving these briefs via email please contact us to be added to the mailing list: china-centre@unimelb.edu.au
Research Briefs 2018 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Number / date | Title | Name |
| Research Brief No. 16 November 2018 | Neither Panacea nor Toxin: Chinese Dam Building in Africa (545kb pdf) |
Dr Xiao Han CCCS Research Fellow |
| Research Brief No. 15 September 2018 | International Chinese enterprises: is reputation management a silver bullet? (540kb pdf) |
Dr Sacha Cody Australian National University |
| Research Brief No. 14 July 2018 | Rural Charities and the Conundrum of Social Governance (535kb pdf) |
Dr Tom Cliff DECRA Fellow Australian National University |
| Research Brief No. 13 May 2018 | China and the Global Refugee Crisis (535kb pdf) |
Dr Fengshi Wu CCCS Senior Lecturer |
| Research Brief No. 12 February 2018 | Youth volunteering in China: To what end? (555kb pdf) |
Dr Anthony J. Spires Deputy Director, CCCS |
Research Briefs 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Number / date | Title | Name |
| Research Brief No. 11 December 2017 | Is the Xinjiangban an effective antidote to ethnic conflict? (575kb pdf) |
Zhenjie Yuan PhD Candidate, Asia Institute |
| Research Brief No. 10 October 2017 | Internal convergence and China’s growth potential (445kb pdf) |
Professor Yao Yang Peking University and CCCS Asia Scholar; Wang Mengqi, Peking University |
| Research Brief No. 9 August 2017 | Is community-based natural resource management an alternative for China? (535kb pdf) |
Dr Zoe Wang CCCS Research Fellow |
| Research Brief No. 8 June 2017 | Rumbling of reform in China’s fiscal foundations (445kb pdf) |
Professor Christine Wong Director, CCCS |
| Research Brief No. 7 April 2017 | Reforming history: Putting the CCP back into China’s historical narratives (550kb pdf) |
Dr Sow Keat Tok Asia Institute |
| Research Brief No. 6 February 2017 | Ending China’s One-Child Policy: Too little too late? (650kb pdf) |
Professor Martin K. Whyte CCCS Asia Scholar |
Research Briefs 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Number / date | Title | Name |
| Research Brief No. 5 October 2016 | Affordable Housing Provision in Urban China: A Solution for Whom? (480kb pdf) |
Lei Yu PhD Candidate, CCCS |
| Research Brief No. 4 August 2016 | The End of Poverty in China? (510kb pdf) |
Sarah Rogers CCCS Research Fellow |
| Research Brief No. 3 June 2016 | Selling China to the World: Translators beware! (515kb pdf) |
Bei Hu Asia Institute Master of Translation Student |
| Research Brief No. 2 April 2016 | The Tibet Project? (460kb pdf) |
Dr Gerald Roche, Asia Institute Discovery Early Career Research Fellow |
| Research Brief No. 1 February 2016 | Can a Modern System of Governance Work Under Xi? (450kb pdf) |
Professor Christine Wong Director, CCCS |