Institute of East Asian Studies

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• Institute of East Asian Studies
• University of Duisburg-Essen
• Chair of East Asian Politics and Society
• Prof. Dr. Thomas Heberer

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Main areas of research

• Political Science
• Social, institutional and political change
• Actors of change
• Local governance
• Emerging of civil society structures
• Legitimacy and social stability
• Formal and informal participation
• Political cultures
• Nationalities issues
• Social deviations

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• 2) Economics
• Rising China challenges to the EU?
• Chinas geo-political resources
• Developmental aid and cooperation
• Eu-China technology policies

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Externally funded research projects prior to
2006

• Urbanization and Social Change in Rural China
  (1993-95)
• Political Participation of Women in East Asia
  (1995-97)
• The social and political role of private
  enterepreneurs in China and Vietnam (1996-98)
• The Role of Ideas and Intellectuals in political
  decision-making in China, Japan, Malaysia und
  Vietnam (2000-2003)
• The role of ethnic entrepreneurs for local
  development and institutional change in China
  (2000-05)
• Reforms of local administration in China and
  Germany in comparison (2005-06)

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On-going research projects

• Political participation, political awareness,
  regime legitimacy and stability in urban and
  rural China (2003-07)
• Environment administration in Germany and China
  a comparison (2007-09)
• Politics and Autonomy in the Chinese local state
  County and Township Cadres as Strategic Actors
  in the Chinese Reform Process (2007-)
• Risk and Risk Management in East Asia (2008-)

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Recent partner organizations in China

• China Centre of Comparative Politics and
  Economics
• Renmin University Peking, Institute of Sociology
• Nankai University Tianjin, Institute of Political
  Science
• NGO Shequ canyu xingdong (Neighbourhood
  Participation Action)

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Research Network in Europe

• EastAsiaNet
• European Research School Network of Contemporary
  East Asian Studies
• The network consists of European research schools
  with a well-developed social-science focus on
  East Asia

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EastAsiaNet

• Lund Centre for East and Southeast Asian
  Studies, Lund University, Sweden
• Copenhagen Nordic Institute of Asian Studies and
  Asia Research Centre, Copenhagen Business School,
  Denmark
• Lyon Institut dAsie Orientale and Institut
  d'Études Transtexturelles et Transculturelles,
  France
• Leeds/Sheffield White Rose East Asia Centre, UK
• Barcelona/Madrid Universitat Autònoma de
  Barcelona and Universitat Autònoma de Madrid,
  Spain
• Venice Department of East Asian Studies,
  Ca-Foscari University of Venice, Italy
• Aveiro/Portuguese Network Center for Languages
  and Cultures, University of Aveiro, with
  Inter-University Network on Chinese Studies,
  Portugal
• Duisburg Institute of East Asian Studies
  (IN-EAST), University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany

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Topics for further research

• Environmental protection administration reforms
  China and Europe compared
• New patterns of urban and rural governance
  precondition for legitimacy and stability
• Building civil society structures
• Chinas Africa policies and the EU
• "Harmonious society" in domestic and
  international politics