Spring 2008, Volume 18, No. 1
A Proposal to Chinese Business History Research Network in Asia
Pui-Tak Lee
The Centre of Asian Studies, University of Hong Kong
We have been recently impressed by the increasing number of scholars working on Chinese Business History. Many of these scholars are based in Asian universities, and often publish their findings locally. However, it is difficult to keep track of these projects and publications. Asian researchers studying China often puzzle with them of disciplinary research agenda and set of cultural and social predilections that are different from the agendas and predilections of researchers. Greater knowledge of these agenda and predilections is useful source of self-reflection and evaluation. For all these and other reasons, a research network is the best way to provide sufficient and ongoing connections to other members of the network.
Business History is not a new subject, but in Asia it is rather new. This project is aimed to form and maintain a network of research in Chinese Business History in Asia by providing a platform to facilitate intellectual exchange, dissemination of research information and creation of collaborative research projects. Participating members from mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan will interact to each other by sharing their view, methodology and source of materials when conduct their research.
The network will be focused largely on intellectual exchange, resource sharing and scholarly collaboration to facilitate academic research. Participating members will gain better access to the quantitative, qualitative, and scholarly materials available within Asia through connections to scholars and their networks with other institutions. Participants of the network will gain improved understanding of and access to the unique resources collected by the network organization, and an international academic audience and vehicle for ongoing communication among the members themselves. The goal of the network is to support scholarly collaboration, as well as information dissemination activities. There is clear rationale for each participating researcher in the network. Initial activities will be focused on holding seminars which in form of “forum” and disseminating information held by the network members utilizing the World Wide Web.
The Centre of Asian Studies of the University of Hong Kong (hereafter abbreviated as CAS) will play a key role in administering the whole project. CAS will convene the Forum Series at the University of Hong Kong and publish the Occasional Papers. The Toyota Foundation generously provided financial sponsorship to this project.
Other than holding the Forum Series and printing the Occasional Papers, a World Wide Web will be created to promote the flow of information related to the study of Chinese Business History. This information included: notice of seminar/workshop/conference; opening of new position/grant and fellowship; introduction and review of recent publication; and personal profile of the participating members of the project. Sources of information will be provided by the members themselves.
An editorial board consisted of senior scholars from history, sociology, anthropology, and geography who have an interest in Chinese Business History will be set up to review the Occasional Papers which to be published by the project.
Topics of the Chinese Business History Forum Series
1st Forum |
Date: 15 January 2008 |
Theme |
Expos and Outlooks for Modern China and Asia |
Speakers |
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Chair & Discussant |
Hamashita Takeshi (Ryukoku University, Japan) |
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2nd Forum |
Date: 26 March 2008 |
Theme |
Modern Chinese Enterprises and Their Connection with Japan |
Speakers |
Hagiwara Mitsuru (Kushiro Public University, Japan): The Later Stage of Development of the Han Yeh Ping Coal and Iron Co.: A Comparative Study of the Revival Policy on Steel Production of the Chinese and Japanese Governments, 1926-1948 Tomizawa Yoshia (Shimane University, Japan): The Textile Plants Managed by the Yen’s Family in the 1920s and 1930sGuan Wenna (University of Hong Kong): The Origin and Characteristics of the Succession of the Sumitomo Family Business: A Comparative Perspective with China |
Chair |
Wong Siu-lun (University of Hong Kong) |
Discussant |
Lee Pui-tak & Dixon Wong (University of Hong Kong) |
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3rd Forum |
Date: 17 June 2008 |
Theme |
Consumerism and Entertainment Life in Shanghai |
Speakers |
Ma Jun (Institute of History, Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences): The History of Dancing Hall in Shanghai: Case of Ciro’s, 1936-1954 Iwama Kazuhiro (Chiba University of Commerce, Japan): The Mass Society of Post-war Shanghai as Viewed from the Miss Shanghai Contest Lee Pui-tak (University of Hong Kong): Chinese Version of Bonnie and Clyde: The Embezzlement of Shanghai Bankers in the 1920s and 1930s |
Chair & Discussant |
Xiong Yuezhi (Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences) |
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4th Forum |
Date: 19 September 2008 |
Theme |
New Perspectives of Family Business Studies |
Speakers |
Kao Cheng-shu and Ho Tsiaman (Tunghai University, Taiwan): Running Over the World: The Pou Chen’s Family and its Enterprises Chung Wai Keung (Singapore Management University): The Historical Interaction between Family Business and Company System in Modern China: An Analytical Perspective of Historical Sociology Victor Zheng (University of Hong Kong): Network Capital: Case of Ho Tung and his son Ho Sai Lai |
Chair & Discussant |
To be confirmed |
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5th Forum |
Date: 28 November 2008 |
Theme |
Business and Law |
Speakers |
David Faure (Chinese University of Hong Kong): Accounting and Accountants in the Early of Twentieth Century China Motono Ei’ichi (Waseda University): The Issue of Infringement of Trade-Mark in Late Qing China and the Formation of the Trade-Mark Law in 1923 Sun Hui-min (Academia Sinica, Taiwan): The Intrusion of Profession: Commercial Debts and Lawyers in Republican Shanghai, 1927-1937 |
Chair & Discussant |
To be confirmed |
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6th Forum |
Date: 16 January 2009 |
Theme |
The Stability in the Crisis: Capital Market of China in the 1930s |
Speakers |
Kuroda Akinobu (University of Tokyo): Make Paper Monies Speak about Their own History in China: A Historical Perspective of the Paper Money Standard in 1935 Lee Yu-ping (Academia Sinica, Taiwan): the Blocs of Economies and International Financial Order in Asia: A Comparative Survey of Gold and Silver Currency Circle, 1935-1939 Li Yixiang (Shanghai Donghua University): A Preliminary Study of the Bankrupted Banks in Modern China |
Chair & Discussant |
To be confirmed |
We hope that another cluster of Asian institutions will take turn in convening the Second Research Network of Chinese Business History. In order to maintain and enforce this network, we will plan to develop into the second phase in the following three directions:
First, preserving original archives and documents. Business records are the most important sources for the study of economy and commerce. The unfreezing of important business records in a number of cities such as Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Taipei, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Wuhan, etc., have recently made them available for research. Some of them are materials abandoned by private companies, while the others are banned on ideological grounds or by political reasons. However, they are now possible for researchers, archivists, librarians and curators to join hands to make these documents opened to the public.
Second, inviting non-Asian researchers to participate in the project. Supposing we will make breakthroughs in dealing with disciplinary and methodological topics, filling the gap of social science research differences between Asian and non-Asian countries.
Third, encouraging more junior scholars such as PhD candidate from mainland China, Japan, Taiwan or elsewhere in Asia to conduct short-term research in Hong Kong. They may make interactions with the senior scholars or scholars who are doing the similar research.
