The challenges of research on and in China today: domestic and international context

Abstract

The rise of Xi Jinping has ushered in a “New Era” characterized by the centralization of political power in China and the limitation of space for intellectual debate, with consequences for academic research, especially in the humanities and social sciences. Old challenges, such as the difficulty of accessing sensitive sources and fields of study, are now combined with new complexities related to the international context, particularly competition with the United States. Reflection on these issues was the focus of the panel discussion “Doing research in and on contemporary China,” which was held at the University of Turin on the occasion of the 18th TOChina Summer School in June 2024.