09.12.2024

Lecture: Political Sociology of China’s Scientific Rise

19 Dec 2024, 16-18h c.t., Keplerstr. 2, Room 003 and online

Anna L. Ahlers presents: 

Knowledge is Power? A Political Sociology of China’s Scientific Rise

“When studying China, we tend to overlook the context in which we ourselves are most active, that is, academia, or more specifically, research and education. This gap is all the more surprising given that the People’s Republic of China has become one of the most important players in global science and scholarship today, and given the role that knowledge and technology play in Chinese society and politics, and increasingly in China’s foreign policy. This talk aims to dust off this topic and show that it is an exciting starting point for exciting combinations of social science analyses and China studies expertise. I will argue for a perspective that understands scientific knowledge production as a constantly evolving world institution in which actors from China naturally have stakes, agency, and increasingly the power to initiate larger processes of change. After highlighting relevant concepts as well as research approaches and sites at the macro and micro level, drawing on ongoing studies in my research group, I will conclude by briefly discussing practical strategies for China scholars in this field under increasingly challenging conditions.”

Anna L. Ahlers is the founder and head of the Lise Meitner Research Group at the Max-Planck-Institut für Wissenschaftsgeschichte, which explores the many facets of China’s rapid and extensive ascent in the global system of science. 
 

Join us on 19 Dec at 16h c.t. at Keplerstr. 2, Room 003, or online via Zoom Meeting ID: 987 1722 3673