Urban Studies Training Program – applications due March 18, 2013

Application Form

Program Description (Chinese and English):

“比较视野下的中国都市研究” 高级研修班招生启事

(中国
上海
华东师范大学)

时
间：2013年6月17-24

主办单位：
哈佛燕京学社
香港大学香港人文社会研究所
华东师范大学上海史研究中心

高速城市化发展是当今中国社会最显著的特征之一。2011年第六次全国人口普查数据显示，中国城镇人口首次超过农村人口，中国正在进入一个城市化发展的新阶段。中国独具特色的城市化产生了并将继续产生许多涉及到人类活动各个领域的问题，这些问题需要人文社会科学学者进行认真研究，以寻找破解之道。然而，都市研究作为跨学科的学术研究领域，在当今中国仍然是一个相对较小且亟待提升的领域。西方学界有关发达国家城市的研究则已经有了几十年的历史，形成各具特色的都市研究理论与方法。通过与欧美学界都市研究者的对话与交流，中国同行以及研究中国城市的学者必将获益良多。

为了共同推进中国都市研究，哈佛燕京学社、香港大学香港人文社会研究所与华东师范大学上海史研究中心于2010年签署合作协议，决定连续举办系列都市研究的高级研修班。第一届研修班已于2010年6月在华东师范大学举行。

第二届高级研修班将于2013年6月在华东师范大学闵行校区举办。本届研修班拟以“比较视野下的中国都市研究”为主题，邀请国内外相关领域的专家学者授课，讲授有关都市研究的不同理论、方法，开拓年轻一代中国都市研究者的研究视野，凝聚都市研究新生力量。

本届研修班预备招收学员20名，进行为期一周的集中培训。招生对象主要是优秀在读博士研究生以及高校青年教师和专业都市研究者。研修班不收取任何费用，研修期间学员的食宿问题由主办方负责解决，学员往返路费自理。个别有实际困难的学员，亦可申请部分交通费用补助。有意申请者请提交一份3-5页的个人研究计划（需提交中英文两个版本）和两封专家推荐信（至少一封）。集训期间的讲座、讨论和报告，采用中文和英语两种工作语言，因此所有报名者需具备良好的中英文水平。研修班结束后，来自亚洲高校和研究机构的学员通过运用研修期间接触和学习到的理论与方法去修改和完善自己的研修计划，并提交给哈佛燕京学社审阅。如果有合适人选，哈佛燕京学社将选拔3-5名优秀学员，赴哈佛燕京学社访学一年。

研修班自即日起接受报名，申请人需将申请材料（包括申请表、研究计划书等，均以中英文书写）通过电子邮件，直接发给联系人，可附上其代表性研究论文；专家推荐信则由专家本人直接以电邮寄给联系人。申请截止日期为2013年3月18日（星期一）。最后正式录取学员的确认信将于4月22日（星期一）发出。

联
系  人：阮  清  华：yanxiuban2013@126.com
联系地址：上海市东川路500号华东师范大学历史学系
邮        编：200241

In recent decades, China’s urbanization has reached a crucial
point when, for the first time in history, over half of the population is
reportedly living in a city. This process of rapid urbanization will
conceivably continue for the next few decades, transforming agrarian China into a new society dominated by industrial
and post-industrial ways of life. Urbanization is surely of the most important
processes shaping China’s developmental trajectory in the twenty-first century.
While it presents many opportunities for progress, urbanization also generates
problems in all fields of human activity, from politics and culture to the
environment, that demand the attention of scholars in the social sciences and
humanities. Urban studies as an interdisciplinary academic field is relatively
small and underdeveloped in China by comparison with advanced Western countries.
As a latecomer, China and Chinese scholars have much to learn about urban
transformation both empirically and theoretically from their Western
counterparts. Furthermore, China’s urban growth is similar to that of other
developing countries.

In an effort to promote urban studies in China, the
Harvard-Yenching Institute, The Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences at
Hong Kong University, and the Shanghai History Research Center at East China
Normal University launched a series of advanced training workshops,
beginning in 2010.

The second training workshop will take place in June 2013 on
East China Normal University’s Minhang campus in Shanghai. As indicated by the
title, this workshop will introduce various approaches to urban studies from
the social sciences and humanities in an attempt to learn how these approaches
might be useful in the study of Chinese cities. We take the comparative method
as essential for both theoretical engagement and empirical research by
encouraging a reconsideration of China’s urban experience in a global, as well
as historical, context while also learning from China’s experience to enrich or
even redefine our understanding of urbanization. Professors from Harvard and
other top research universities in the United States and China will be invited
to address a select group of trainees from various institutions within and
outside of China. Through the workshop we hope to help attract and train young
scholars for the development of an urban studies field in China. It is also our
hope to use the workshop as a platform for collaborative research among Chinese
and American scholars.

We plan to enroll about 20 promising scholars (including
current doctoral students and young faculty and researchers) to participate in
an intensive one-week training program. Lectures, discussions, and readings
will be in both Chinese and English, so trainees must have a high-level of
academic competence in both languages.  The
workshop will include opportunities for attendees to explore new approaches in
their research and develop new ways of conceptualizing China’s urban issues. Trainees
will be encouraged to draw upon their personal academic backgrounds and
research interests to design original research projects. After the workshop concludes,
a very small number of outstanding trainees from Asia may be selected as
Harvard-Yenching Visiting Scholars or Visiting Fellows to spend the following
academic year (2013-14) in residence at Harvard to pursue advanced studies.

Please submit a complete application including an application form and a
research proposal by Monday, March 18, 2013. 
Letters of recommendation need to be directly sent to Dr. Ruan Qinghua via
email at <yanxiuban2013@126.com>.  Application results will be announced and candidates will be notified by Monday, April 22, 2013.  Please
forward your application and inquiries to:

Dr. Ruan Qinghua
Email: yanxiuban2013@126.com
Address: 
History Department
East China Normal University
500 Dongchuan Road
Shanghai 200241 China