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Our Mission
Given the rich diversity of international perspectives about the Chinese region and the
complexity of the region's own narratives about its historical, social, economic and political
environment, the research group BCCDS (Brussels Center for Chinese Discourse Studies) was
established in 2010 to provide an inclusive forum to this plurality of voices. While reflecting
the trend of growing international interest in the participation of the Chinese communities
on the global stage, it aims to identify the extent to which discourse can provide the
common ground or interdisciplinary link between diverse research areas with a focus on the
North East Asia Region, in particular, China/Taiwan. Participants are given a forum to present
their field of studies and look for possible synergies of collaboration, taking the interaction
between discourse and society as a starting point.
It is hoped this initiative can offer a solid base to open up avenues for joint research projects
on a national and international level.
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The BCCDS-Working Group initiative reflects the current trend of growing international interest in the participation of the Chinese communities on the global stage. It aims to identify the extent to which discourse can provide the common ground or interdisciplinary link between diverse research areas with a focus on the North East Asia Region, in particular the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of China (Taiwan). Participants are given a forum to present their field of studies and look for possible synergies of collaboration, taking the interaction between discourse and society as a starting point.
The kick-off event, organized at the Royal Flemish Academy (KVAB) in November 2010 was an exploratory international workshop, focusing on discourse as the interface between various disciplines studying China. The role of discourse was examined in the field of political communication, intercultural communication, and in the domain of law (IPR) and human rights. Besides embedding the empirical exploration in a deeper theoretical perspective (of discourse studies and language pragmatics), the workshop broadened the scope by looking at comparable research from other regional studies. For example, links were drawn between political discourse in China and other regions with comparable political histories (such as Romania). Philosophical perspectives on East/West dichotomous discourses were given on cultural aspects of communication with and about Chinese communities and vice versa. Similarly, legal issues, such as intellectual property rights, were also approached from a comparative angle.
BCCDS - Working Group Convener
Prof. Lutgard Lams
