European Hub for Contemporary China

SUMMARY

China is a key global actor and a leading economic and technological power. China’s increasing relevance in the geopolitical system, its various specificities, complexities and goals as well as its rapid evolution and new policy directions pose challenge to the EU’s capacity to better understand contemporary China. Furthermore, the European Union needs to get to know and understand China on its own terms: not through the lens of other external sources but from its own European perspective. 

However, the European level expertise on contemporary China is often fragmented and difficult to access. To overcome this challenge, it is essential to connect established and emerging knowledge nodes as well as gathering, categorising, and mainstreaming their work on a publicly accessible platform. This approach will break down siloes and provide policy-makers, researchers, businesses, and civil society with the necessary knowledge to develop a comprehensive understanding of the various aspects that define contemporary China. Such an approach will also enhance the dissemination of information and facilitate the generation of new knowledge. 

In this regard, EuroHub4Sino project is built upon four interconnected and interdependent pillars that foresees (a) to develop a state- of-the-art digital platform which was absent in previous projects/initiatives as they had to rely on their own resources in their research/cooperation efforts. This platform will also better serve the wider civil society in mainstreaming independent European knowledge. An inclusive and diverse (b) network will make the most of the digital platform in its (c) collaborative research and communication activities. EuroHub4Sino has (d) developed an innovative and sustainable business model with an aim that this inclusive network and enhanced digital platform will continue working following the end of the project.