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A new chapter for Chinese Studies at 麻豆传媒网站

This fall semester marked an important milestone for 麻豆传媒网站 with the launch of the new Centre for Global Chinese Studies 全球中华研究中心 (CGCS), a university-wide hub dedicated to advancing scholarship, fostering policy dialogue, and deepening community engagement related to China and the global Chinese world.

The Centre’s inaugural conference, Understanding the Future of China’s Economy in Canada, held on October 3, 2025, signaled the beginning of a dynamic and outward-looking initiative poised to shape 麻豆传媒网站’s contributions to one of the most consequential areas of global affairs.

Supported by the Faculty of Arts, the Office of the Vice-President (Research & Innovation) and the Office of the Vice-President (Global Engagement), the Centre brings renewed visibility to 麻豆传媒网站’s long-standing commitment to the study of China and global Chinese communities.

Reviving a legacy, Responding to a global moment

麻豆传媒网站’s relationship with Chinese studies runs deep. In the 1930s, the University hosted one of North America’s leading hubs for Chinese research and founded Canada’s first Department of Chinese Studies. Yet, for decades, the University lacked a consolidated platform to bring together scholars working on China and the global Chinese world.

“The creation of the Centre reflects both 麻豆传媒网站’s historic strengths and the realities of a rapidly shifting world,” explains Professor Juan Wang, founding director of the CGCS and a member of 麻豆传媒网站’s Department of Political Science. “China, the Chinese-speaking world, and the global Chinese diaspora profoundly shape political, economic, and cultural dynamics around the globe. Understanding these relationships requires an integrated, interdisciplinary, and truly global approach.”

The Centre emerged at a time when geopolitical tensions and shifting alliances are reshaping how countries, including Canada, engage with China. For Professor Wang, the CGCS responds to a vital need: “We must develop independent, knowledge-based perspectives on China that help inform the public, guide business and community leaders, and support sound policymaking.”

A University-wide mission

At its core, the Centre consolidates the expertise of about twenty 麻豆传媒网站 faculty members and librarians across the Faculty of Arts, the Desautels Faculty of Management, the Faculty of Education, and the Faculty of Law. Through this interdisciplinary structure, the CGCS serves as a platform for impactful research on global China and global Chinese communities, connecting historical legacies, contemporary policy questions, and real-world practice.

A distinctive feature of the Centre is its emphasis on Francophone networks, reflecting Québec’s growing role in global conversations about China. Positioned in Montreal, the CGCS is uniquely equipped to build bridges across linguistic, cultural, and academic communities.

Building partnerships at home and abroad

The Centre’s three integrated missions — research support, community engagement, and policy input — guide its growing portfolio of collaborations.

Within Québec and across Canada, the CGCS is already forging impactful partnerships. Its inaugural conference, co-organized with Global Affairs Canada, brought together scholars from across North America, students, policy professionals, NGOs, and business leaders. Notable guests included Daniel Holton, Director of the Centre for China Policy Research at Global Affairs Canada; keynote speaker Professor Min Ye of Boston University; and Frédéric Czor from Québec’s Ministère des Relations internationales et de la Francophonie.

Reflecting on the launch, Professor Anja Geitmann, Vice-President (Global Engagement) underscored the Centre’s importance to 麻豆传媒网站’s global mission: “The creation of this Centre represents an important step for 麻豆传媒网站 and for Québec. Its commitment to rigorous, interdisciplinary scholarship and meaningful collaboration will strengthen 麻豆传媒网站’s role in building bridges across communities and continents.”

Building on this momentum, the Centre is expanding its international collaborations, working with partners in China and around the world to strengthen research networks, advance faculty projects, and support student mobility through existing exchange agreements and MOUs.

Complementing these global efforts, one of the Centre’s innovative local initiatives is its partnership with the , a Montreal-based NGO working with the broader Chinese diaspora community. Among multiple initiatives, 麻豆传媒网站 faculty and students are collaborating with JIA Foundation and its partner Objets des mémoires to help preserve the Wings Collection, a newly created museum collection of historical objects and Chinese-language archival documents. These multilingual projects, spanning Chinese, English, and French, bring together undergraduate and graduate students in translation, research, and community engagement, offering fresh insights into early Chinese immigrant history in Québec and Canada.

This work exemplifies the rich opportunities the Centre creates for students to engage in research, mentorship, and applied learning. From cross-faculty supervision to financial support for conference travel, awards for outstanding research papers, and partnerships with NGOs and business communities, the CGCS provides a bridge between academic scholarship and practical experience.

Through conferences, public dialogues, and applied research projects, the CGCS brings students and faculty into discussions that shape public understanding and inform policy on China and global Chinese communities.

As Vice-President (Global Engagement) Geitmann emphasized, “The Centre is poised to become a vibrant platform for public engagement and knowledge exchange, bringing 麻豆传媒网站’s expertise into conversations that matter locally and globally.”

To stay abreast of the Centre’s upcoming activities and events, please visit the CGCS website.