Rethinking Urban-rural Interactions in China’s Agricultural Development: Beyond the Urban Bias?

03/04/2009 - 09:00

3 - 5 April 2009

9th European Conference on Agriculture and Rural Development in China (ECARDC IX)

Call for papers

Organiser: Department of East Asian Studies, University of Leeds and National Institute of Chinese Studies, White Rose East Asian Centre, UK

Hosted at the University of Leeds, Leeds, UK

Conference theme

China has witnessed remarkable economic growth, unprecedented industrialisation and urbanisation, and dramatic transformations of the urban and rural development landscape since the initiation of the market reforms three decades ago. The impact on the rest of the world has been huge, catching the attention of academics, development practitioners and policy makers worldwide. A large and still growing body of research has been devoted to investigate and understand China's phenomenal growth and its broader implications, while relatively less effort has been dedicated to critically analyse and reflect on the many dilemmas of rapid growth and drastic societal change, including particularly the ever widening urban-rural inequalities that have in many ways overlapped with inter- and intra-regional disparities, and separated urban and rural societies in all conceivable dimensions. The challenges that this poses to the realisation of the larger development vision - the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), at both the global and national level - the promotion of human well-being and the widening of the choices and freedoms for all Chinese citizens, have yet to be fully confronted.

Please read the attached document below for more and detailed information or surf to http://www.ecardc.org