Internationalising humanities and social sciences in China: tensions, implications and collaboration with UK

In the Brexit era, China has become an important potential partner for UK higher education. Currently, there is an increasing trend of Sino-British research collaborations; however, most of them are in science and technology fields, rather than in humanities and social sciences (HSS). HSS play an important role in contributing to the prosperity, security, and wellbeing of our society (as highlighted by Professor Jennifer Rubin, ESRC Executive Chair in 'UK Research and Innovation and the future of the social sciences'). HSS research is largely culture- bound with a national or regional focus, thus differentiating itself from science and technology. Therefore, there are challenges in internationalising and evaluating HSS research, as well as in developing Sino-British collaborations that can benefit both China and the UK. Debates are arising among governments, universities, academics, and relevant agencies. Nonetheless, there is a lack of literature or initiatives addressing those questions.

My doctoral research found that in China the government and universities are attempting to internationalise the HSS in higher education. As compared to the rapidly growing science and technology disciplines in China, the HSS research is less visible and influential in global academia. In response to the central government's call to internationalise HSS, most Chinese universities are offering financial rewards and/or career-related benefits, as means to incentivise HSS academics to publish in internationally-indexed journals. Such incentives tend to generate several conflicts discussed in the doctoral research: for example, in relation to the internationalisation versus localisation of HSS knowledge, the use of English language versus mother tongue language, and universities' institutional agendas versus individuals' academic freedom.

Building on my doctoral research, the proposed research aims to contribute to scholarly and theoretical debates about the role, character and contribution of HSS, to national and institutional policymaking, to academic and non-academic practices, and to public discussions on the internationalisation and evaluation of HSS.

I will conduct a bibliometric study that offers a comparative perspective of HSS outputs within and outside China, develop three peer-reviewed journal articles from the doctoral and extend studies, present research findings at academic conference and seminars, and conduct a research visit to the Faculty of Education at the University of Hong Kong. More broadly, I will collaborate with two organisations: Universities UK International, the representative organisation for 136 UK universities, and Digital Science, an international technology company serving the needs of scientific and research communities. In partnership with them, I will develop briefings and reports to inform the practices of internationalising and evaluating HSS; participate in the workshop with government and universities' representatives; and organise a symposium to facilitate Sino-British HSS collaborations in higher education.

The ESRC postdoctoral fellowship is an excellent opportunity to consolidate my doctoral research and generate impacts on the wider communities through various pathways. It is essential to my career development as an early career academic. The fellowship will prepare me for the next stage of my academic career, with opportunities to produce publications both in English and Chinese, develop new sets of research and teaching skills, produce grant proposals, expand networks, collaborate with non-academic communities, and conduct further research to bridge between my doctoral studies and future projects.