Chinese Studies

Background

The Chinese Studies MSc is aimed at students who want to pursue an advanced degree in order to train for a range of careers involving China that require understanding of its contemporary society, politics and economy and international relations.

Specifically, the programme aims to :
•           Identify the social, political, and economic forces that shape China today;
•           Promote  understanding of China’s development and the implications of its relationships with the rest of the world;
•           Recognise the challenges and problems which China faces in its development and evaluate policies to address these challenges;
•           Equip graduates with  a theoretically informed understanding of how social science theories and research have been used to interpret Chinese politics, society and economy;
•           Provide an opportunity to critically debate the features of China’s development, including theories of global economic integration, international relations, nationalism, democratization versus authoritarian persistence, the development of civil society, human rights, and the international role of rising powers;
•           Develop and enhance skills in Chinese research methods and the ability to work effectively with source materials in Chinese, across cultural boundaries and in China.
•           Develop knowledge and skills which can be applied in a range of careers involving China.

The programme is small, and we actively promote student-centred teaching and guarantee individual dissertation supervision. Some classes are shared with students from other programmes, adding to the liveliness of classes and enriching debate.  The student body is extremely international.

China and Glasgow

Glasgow is a vibrant, cosmopolitan place with a lively contemporary arts and culture scene. It has been named as a UNESCO City of Music, making it part of the Creative Cities Network. While studying here, you can benefit from various organizations within and beyond the University:

• The Confucius Institute at the University of Glasgow is a partnership with Nankai University supported by the Chinese Ministry of Education’s Office for Chinese Language (Hanban). A primary purpose of the Institute is to teach the Chinese language. The Institute will also organise cultural activities, including lectures and exhibitions.
• The Scottish Centre for Chinese Social Science Research, based at this University, brings together scholars doing cutting edge research on China across a range of social science disciplines.
• The China-Britain Business Council (CBBC) has its Scottish office in Glasgow and organizes regular industry briefings. Individual membership is available on a subscription basis.
• The Cross-Party Group on China at the Scottish Parliament brings together figures from civil society, business and politics with an interest in China. Membership is open to the public and events are held several times a year when parliament is in session.
• The City of Glasgow, through Culture and Sport Glasgow (C&SG) has significant resources relating to China, including important Chinese art collections held by the Burrell Collection. 
• Ricefield Chinese Arts and Cultural Centre delivers high quality events in the city including art exhibitions and film screenings.
• The Scotland-China Association (Glasgow Branch) organizes seminars and informal dinners where you can meet people from Glasgow with an interest in China.