CCI researchers are currently investigating several areas of China’s emergence, with both Chinese and international partners. Research collaboration with International Creative Industries Alliance (ICIA) will focus on identifying market entry opportunities in China for creative businesses. Other Chinese partners, including the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), the Chinese University of Communication (CUC), and the Beijing Academy of Science and Technology will lead to publishing outcomes. The first of these to appear in 2008 will be the International Perspectives on the Creative Economy series with CCI, CASS and CUC. This contains papers by CCI members Cunningham, Potts, Hartley, Higgs, Fitzgerald, Rosemann, de Hofstede and Keane.
A second outcome will result from our partnership with Professor Zhang Jingcheng of the Beijing Academy of Science and Technology. Professor Zhang is the editor of The Blue Book on China’s Creative Industries. A special issue on China’s creative industries is being prepared for the Creative Industries Journal.
We are exploring opportunities to engage with Chinese researchers, including providing input into the direction of Chinese policy-making, through our further engagement with CUC and the Creative Commons project with the Renmin University in Beijing. We are also conducting talks with Chinese national and local data collection agencies with a view to introducing the Creative Trident methodology, as well as following up our connection with the China Media Centre at Westminster in providing expertise on the creative industries in China.
In 2008 we will host visiting international scholars, including a six-month residence by Professor Zhang. We have also built capacity in the number of PhD students from Mainland China at the Creative Industries Faculty, most of whom are working on projects associated with CCI themes.