Dear Colleagues:
In September the University celebrated the opening of the University of Chicago Center in Beijing. Building on Chicago’s long tradition of international engagement and a century of collaboration between scholars from Chicago and China, the Center in Beijing provides a base for University of Chicago faculty and research staff, graduate students, and undergraduates working or studying in China, and serves as a gathering space for alumni in the region and as a resource for Chinese researchers and students. It enables the University to expand existing activities and pursue new collaborative initiatives with a broad range of organizations, particularly universities and research academies. On behalf of the faculty steering committee of the University of Chicago Center in Beijing, I am pleased to invite proposals for programs and activity at the Center for the remainder of the 2010-2011 academic year.
The Center
Located in the heart of Beijing’s University District, the Center in Beijing offers a home for University of Chicago faculty, research staff, and students to engage in a broad spectrum of intellectual activities across the disciplines. Its 23,000 square feet of space includes office space for visiting faculty and students, state of the art classrooms and meeting rooms in a range of sizes, exhibition space, and convivial areas for informal meeting. There are several comfortable hotels and very convenient public transportation nearby. Staff based at the Center are available to facilitate conferences and workshops and other activities at the Center and to provide support for faculty and others conducting work in China.
Activities and Proposals for Funding Support
As the faculty director for this university-wide venture, I work with a group of distinguished faculty members from across campus to plan academic events and ongoing programs around three broad and intersecting themes: Business, Economics, and Policy; Science, Medicine, and Public Health; and Culture, Society, and the Arts (with recognition that some activities will straddle these thematic areas). For the remainder of this academic year, the Committee can provide modest support for a range of activities including: Conferences and workshops to promote the sharing of ideas among scholars/researchers, policy makers, and business leaders from China, the United States, and beyond; Lectures and events, including arts programs, to engage scholars, alumni, and the public; Professional development programs for Chinese and regional executives, government officials, and practitioners; Residencies and fellowships for faculty or graduate students conducting research in China.
We encourage innovative ideas, whether nascent or fully elaborated, for how we might foster global initiatives and facilitate collaboration with scholars and institutions in the region. Information about past and upcoming activities at the Center can be found at the Center in Beijing website at www.uchicago.cn. Faculty and research staff receiving this invitation are encouraged to distribute this call for proposals to members of the University community. We request that all graduate student proposals include proof of sponsorship from a faculty member.
Each letter of intent or proposal should include: names and affiliations of main participants (from the University and other institutions); discussion of aims, significance, and rationale; preferred timing; and preliminary budget (guidelines for conference proposals can be obtained upon request from beijingcenter@uchicago.edu). The proposal should be emailed to BeijingCenter@uchicago.edu by November 30, 2010 and Committee decisions about funding will be made by December 31, 2010. (Proposals submitted by the deadline will receive priority consideration, but the Center welcomes inquiries at any time of the year.) Once projects have been funded and approved, staff at the Center in Beijing will provide planning and logistical support. The Committee will issue a new invitation for proposals in the spring for the 2011-2012 academic year.
Use of Center Facilities
In addition to the activities outlined above, the Center in Beijing is also available to faculty and members of the University community traveling in China. If you will be in China and wish to visit the Center, participate in lectures or other programs, or otherwise make use of the Center, please contact the Center in Beijing staff at BeijingCenter@uchicago.edu.
Sincerely,
Dali L. Yang
Faculty Director, University of Chicago Center in Beijing
Professor of Political Science and the College
