A UK-based independent worldwide fellowship
The China-Focused Student Research Forum was initiated by Sam Hardy at SOAS, University of London, with its first forum held in 2023. The second and third forums were hosted in 2024 and 2025 at King’s College London (KCL) and the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), respectively. The forum is a cross-institutional academic platform organised by students and for students, rotating among SOAS, KCL, and LSE, and supported by Chinese language teachers across the three institutions. They also serve on the editorial board of the Journal of Chinese for Social Sciences (Chinese edition), published by Global Century Press. ‘Chinese for social science’ or ‘Chinese language for Social Science’ is a branch of ‘Chinese for Specific Purposes’ (CSP), like ‘Chinese for science and technology’ or ‘business Chinese’. It examines the use of the Chinese language in context and draws academic attention to the usefulness and validity of existing translated texts and language usage in Chinese social science.
With the support of Dr Song Lianyi, Principal Teaching Fellow at the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics, University of London, and one of the founding editors of the Journal of Chinese for Social Sciences; Professor Xiangqun Chang, President of the Global China Academy and Editor-in-Chief of Global Century Press; as well as the above teachers and editorial board members, the forum has been able to sustain its development. Conducted bilingually in Chinese and English, both in presentations and discussions, the forum not only showcases achievements in teaching Chinese for social sciences but also promotes the bilingual transformation of academic expression. Selected outstanding papers have been published in the Journal of Chinese for Social Sciences, gradually establishing a “conference-to-publication” mechanism within this cross-institutional platform.
The 4th China-Focused Student Research Forum was successfully held on 21 March 2026 at SOAS, University of London. The event was organised and chaired by Sam Hardy, with strong support from Ms Lik Suen, Principal Lector at the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics. A total of 12 undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students from institutions including LSE, KCL, Oxford, and Glasgow presented their research, collectively demonstrating the interdisciplinary and methodological diversity of contemporary China studies.
The research topics can be broadly grouped into three areas: (1) historical and intellectual studies (e.g. the translation of sovereignty, provincial assemblies, and early cross-cultural perceptions); (2) international relations and comparative politics (e.g. European discourses on China, Indonesia’s comparison with China, and Swiss neutrality); and (3) contemporary society and knowledge production (e.g. international students’ trust in China, youth employment, and media imaginaries of China). These studies not only focus on China itself but also situate China within global knowledge and discursive systems through comparative, translational, and cross-cultural perspectives, reflecting a distinctly interdisciplinary and transcultural approach.
In addition to the established commentary by Chinese language instructors, this year’s forum introduced two external discussants, including Associate Professor Lars Peter Laamann, Head of the Department of History at SOAS, University of London, and [name to be confirmed].
In the concluding session, Professor Xiangqun Chang briefly introduced the Journal of Chinese for Social Sciences website. This was followed by a dialogue between Dr Shi Lijing, Deputy Head of the Chinese Programme at LSE and Editor-in-Chief of the journal, and the author Derin Bohcaci, whose published article, “‘Modernity’ or ‘Eurocentrism’? A Comparative Study of Language Reforms in Turkey and China,” served as the basis for discussion. They shared their experiences of submission and publication, further strengthening the interaction between the forum and the journal, and contributing to the development of a sustainable academic ecosystem.
The following section outlines the programme of the forum.
- From Legitimised Identity to Project Identity, Chengzhe Yao, University of Glasgow
- Translating Sovereignty (主權) in Late Qing China, Lok Yin Chan, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
- How Do European Governments Frame Political Relations with China? Victor El-Khoury, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
- To What Extent Has Indonesia Since the Fall of the Suharto Regime Been Able to Emulate China’s Rising Status? Sam Stephens, SOAS, University of London
- The Guangdong Provincial Assembly in the Early 1900s, Yixuan Zhao, University of Liverpool
- Early Twentieth-Century Chinese Perceptions of Jewish Immigrants in New York, Yuang Marcus Liu, King’s College London (KCL)
- Trust of International Students in China, Eleonora Di Benedetto, Sichuan University
- Rethinking Capitalism through the Industrious Revolution, Jiazhen Hu, University of Oxford
- How Elite Students Navigate China’s Youth Unemployment Crisis, Hedi Deban, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
- China’s Perception of Swiss Neutrality and Its Bridge-Builder Role, Jael Lorena Stettler, King’s College London (KCL) / Renmin University of China
- Techno-Orientalist Imaginaries of China in Journalism, Hatty Liu, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
- Nationalism and Ideological Control in Sino–Thai Education Policy, 1938–1978, Jaruwan Teanmahasatid, SOAS, University of London
The following are selected photographs from the event.
The above are the chair and presenters (in order of appearance).
The above shows the discussion and Q&A session.
Networking during the break.
Introduction to the journal website (top) and a dialogue between the editor-in-chief and a contributor (bottom).
