China Studies Research and Methodology Colloquium

The Center for Chinese Studies is excited to introduce a new colloquium for Fall of 2007: Introduction to China Studies Research and Methodology. This colloquium is designed for new and continuing graduate students in all disciplines related to China Studies, and aims to introduce scholars of China to the rich variety of research currently being pursued. Participants will explore methodologies and recent trends in different fields that relate to the study of China in an effort to refine their own approaches to study and to develop an appreciation for what other perspectives have to offer. This colloquium will combine two approaches to the subject: student-led discussions about research in particular disciplines will be followed by student-faculty conversations about faculty research interests, methodology and theory, professional norms and expectations, and the wider questions of China Studies.

Students will have the opportunity to lead discussions, participate with their peers in the exploration of methodological and theoretical issues, become familiar with UCLA faculty in an informal setting, and develop a clear sense of how their own research relates to the pursuits of others. In a continuation of the colloquium in a series of winter quarter workshops, students will present their own ongoing research projects to the group for discussion and feedback. In a culminating experience, colloquium participants will be included in the planning and execution of a spring quarter graduate student research conference. The aims of this conference will be (1) to present the results of the cross-disciplinary discussions that the colloquium has occasioned; (2) to provide students with experience in organizing a professional conference; (3) and to hone professional skills in presenting papers, acting as discussant, and fielding audience questions.

In addition to student-run discussions, student/faculty conversations, paper workshops, and a chance to plan and participate in a conference, participants in the colloquium will be included in social gatherings, invited to outside cultural events, and kept up to date on developments and happenings in the UCLA China Studies field. The goal is to encourage inter-departmental cooperation, further student-faculty connections, provide opportunities for personal reflection on how individual research relates to larger multi-disciplinary questions, and foster student involvement in campus and professional life. Students will be given leadership, planning, and cooperative opportunities to enhance their understanding of the multiple facets of academic life and enrich their graduate experience. These goals will further scholars’ abilities not only to operate in a professional academic environment, but also to create a personally enriching learning atmosphere in which scholarly pursuits may be buttressed by meaningful interactions with peers and senior colleagues.

The colloquium will begin in Fall of 2007, with weekly two-hour meetings on Fridays from 2 to 4pm. Students interested in participating should contact Maura Dykstra (maurad@ucla.edu) to register for the course, which will be offered for the first time on an informal, experimental basis. Students involved in this effort will be especially encouraged to participate in later events associated with the China Studies colloquium (such as the conference and workshop groups) and will play a formative role in the future formulation of graduate student programs run by the Center.