Dec 10 2013 | Posted by SSSandy

China scholars meet at the bridge between East and West

China scholars from around the world gathered at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) on 5-6 December for the WUN Global China Group Conference on Family Transition, Ageing and Social Security in China.

The Conference focussed on cultural change and economic development in China and particularly on three topics: family transition, ageing, and social security. Some 60 scholars and students from both within and outside WUN, took part in the event and discussed key issues arising from these topics, such as ageing and employment; intergenerational mobility; inequality in health and social security among the elderly; and migration and familial support.

The Conference, held as part of CUHK’s Golden Jubilee Celebrations, marked the official launch of the Global China Group, a network-wide initiative that aims to channel research efforts on contemporary China within the Network with a focus on the “two-way understanding of and engagement with China”. The Group builds upon the work of its predecessor, the WUN Contemporary China Centre.

The conference featured a number of prominent experts as keynote speakers, including: Dr. Fang Cai, director of the Institute of Population and Labor Economics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; Prof. Jane Falkingham, director of the ESRC Centre for Population Change at the University of Southampton; Prof. Xiaomei Pei, executive director of the Gerontology Research Centre at Tsinghua University; and Prof. Junsen Zhang, Wei Lun Professor of Economics and Chairman of the Department of Economics at CUHK.

Professor John Hearn, Executive Director of WUN, will present the findings of the conference to a number of government organisations and universities during a visit to Beijing in December.

View the conference programme.

Delegates of the WUN Global China Group Conference

Delegates of the WUN Global China Group Conference

Professor Joseph Sung

Professor Joseph Sung, Vice-Chancellor of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, opens the conference

Professor John Hearn

Professor John Hearn, Executive Director of WUN, addresses the WUN Global China Group Conference