China. Censorship, restrictions, regulations and other measures have not only restricted the scope of civil society actors such as non-governmental organisations and foundations, but have also fundamentally changed the character of civil society as a whole and its interaction with the state and the economy. Against this backdrop, the question arises as to whether there is still an active civil society in China and, if so, how it can operate. The new event of the dialogue series "Understanding China's Modernity - European Reflections", organised in cooperation with the Friedrich-Naumann-Stifung für die Freiheit, is dedicated to these topics. This event will take place in German.
Last November's election in the Netherlands saw a (surprisingly) clear winner in the form of Geert Wilders' right-wing populist PVV party. Whether Wilders will ultimately be able to govern remains to be seen. A possible political realignment in the Netherlands would have major implications for Germany and North Rhine-Westphalia, as the Netherlands is a close partner in economic, foreign and defense policy issues. What could a Dutch government under right-wing populist leadership or participation mean for NRW and Germany? How would such a government position itself in relation to the current conflicts and crises and what impact would this have at European level?
"The future of Volkswagen will be decided on the Chinese market," predicted Herbert Diess, CEO of Volkswagen AG, at the beginning of 2019. In order to understand VW's intensive focus on China, it is necessary to take a look at the history of its integration with the largest global automotive market. This event will take place in German.
According to the Financial Times, China may have overtaken the USA as the largest economy, but its economic development is currently going through a critical phase. The property bubble has been threatening to burst for months, debts have been piling up, infrastructure investments are hardly providing an engine for growth and a general backlog of reforms is paralysing political management. The ageing of Chinese society is also clouding long-term growth expectations. Private companies and innovation are seen as a way out of the so-called "middle income trap". The new event of the dialogue series "Understanding China's Modernity - European Reflections", organised in cooperation with the Friedrich-Naumann-Stifung für die Freiheit, is dedicated to these topics. This event will take place in German.
In our anniversary episode, we look at the special character of the Chinese language and its influence on culture and mutual understanding. What are the special linguistic and cultural challenges of translating Chinese into German? What does current Chinese literature deal with? How important is mastery of the Chinese language for the China competence of decision-makers in business, science and politics? What role will artificial intelligence play in learning and translating Chinese? And why are student numbers in German sinology, of all fields, continuing to decline?
For just over a decade, China's social credit system has been in constant evolution. The digital recording and rating system, which rates individuals, state employees, businesses, and other organizations, is usually understood in the West as an authoritarian manifestation of China's modernity. At the request of numerous participants in our dialogue series, in this installment we examine the various functions of the complex social credit system with the goal of gaining a deeper understanding of the system and discussing it in an informed manner.
The new event of the dialoge series „Chinas Moderne Begreifen - Europäische Reflexionen" with Prof. Dr. Maximilian Mayer, Dr. Tim Rühlig, Dr. Susann Lüdtke and Ann Catrin Riedel.
In order to meet China as a partner, competitor and rival on an equal footing, comprehensive China competence has been demanded and promoted in Germany for years. At the same time, the conditions for and demands on China experts have become more complex and challenging. The dialogue series "Understanding China's Modernity - European Reflections" is dedicated to this topic. Once a month, renowned experts discuss different aspects of today's Chinese politics, economy and society, critically question them and at the same time reflect on their own European modernity.
Chinas rasante Modernisierung hat das Land zu einer führenden Wirtschafts- und Technologiemacht mit globaler Strahlkraft werden lassen. Nicht erst die Covid-19-Pandemie hat verdeutlicht, dass Chinas Moderne aus europäischer Sicht eine Herausforderung darstellt, die normative, ökonomische und politische Fragen aufwirft. Die Dialogreihe “Chinas Moderne Begreifen— Europäische Reflexionen” nähert sich diesen Fragen aus vielzähligen Perspektiven und mittels der Brille unterschiedlicher Fachdisziplinen an. Einmal im Monat thematisieren namhafte Experten unterschiedliche Aspekte der heutigen chinesischen Politik, Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft, hinterfragen diese kritisch und reflektieren zugleich die eigene, europäische Moderne.
Ethnic minorities not only make up the cultural and linguistic diversity that characterises China's society today. Many of the more than fifty ethnic groups officially recognised as "nationalities" also live in formally semi-autonomous administrative units. Historically, minorities have played a weighty role in the rise of the Communist Party. Nevertheless, they have often been affected by repression, re-education and forced modernisation policies. What does modernisation mean in China in relation to its minorities?