Chinese Studies Research Group Lunch Seminar 3 August 2007

Chinese Studies Research Group Lunch Seminar 3 August 2007

Venue: Tutorial / Committee Room, Ground Floor, Baillieu Library

Program:

11:15 - 11:30

Registration and morning tea

11:30 - 11:45

Welcome (Jonathan Benney, President, Chinese Studies Research Group; Ph D Candidate, Asia Institute )

11:45 - 12:25
Topic: Environmental Democratisation in China: The Controversy over Sealing the Eastern Lakes in the Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan in Chinese)

Speaker: Ji Ma, Honours Research at School of Social and Environmental Enquiry

12:35 - 1:15
Topic: Follow-up fieldtrip to Zhuang villages in Yunnan

Speaker: Ya-Ning Kao, PhD Candidate,The School of Social and Environmental Enquiry and Chinese Program, The Asia Institute

1:15 - 2: 00 Lunch

Remarks: RSVP to Bick-har Yeung bhy@unimelb.edu.au by 27 July 2007 for catering purpose.

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Program Details

11:45 - 12:25
Topic: Environmental Democratisation in China: The Controversy over Sealing the Eastern Lakes in the Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan in Chinese)

Speaker: Ji Ma, Honours Research at School of Social and Environmental Enquiry

Summary:

Environmental governance, as an important component of the Chinese governance system, has been experiencing a number of shifts in the past three decades. These changes are the direct and indirect consequences of the transition of political system, openness to the rest of the world, rapid economic growth, and the innovation of information and communication technologies. In recent years, environmental democratisation has been the central theme in this transformation of China’s environmental governance regime. I examine the iconic event in China's environmental governance history - the Old Summer Palace Eastern Lakes Sealing Case.

12:35 - 1:15
Topic: Follow-up fieldtrip to Zhuang villages in Yunnan

Speaker: Ya-Ning Kao, PhD Candidate,The School of Social and Environmental Enquiry and Chinese Program, The Asia Institute

Summary:

My recent fieldtrip to Yunnan , in February 2007, clearly illustrated the value of ongoing and follow-up field research. In my study of what might be variously termed the “manufacture”, “rectification”, “performance” or “repossession” of the historical Zhuang figure Nong Zhigao, a follow-up fieldtrip enabled me to further explore the understandings and hypotheses that emerged from earlier, extensive fieldwork and archival research. In this seminar I present some of the main findings from my research trip. I also discuss how this new material has provided new insights into my research concerning Nong Zhigao, as well as suggesting other useful field methodologies.