Mingran Cao will present findings from his recent fieldwork in Yancheng, a coastal city in Jiangsu province that has undergone a remarkable transformation—from a heavy reliance on the chemical industry to becoming a leader in renewable energy development.
Drawing on Chinese source materials and interviews with local stakeholders, Cao’s research examines the role of state-led industrial policy in this green transition. In particular, the presentation will showcase how the state and business collaborated to facilitate industrial restructuring in contemporary China. The talk will highlight how these insights can inform policy and industrial strategy here in the Netherlands.
This event will be of particular interest to those working in energy, sustainability, industrial policy, and international economic development.
Programme
· 8:45–9:00 | Doors open
· 9:00–9:05 | Introduction
· 9:05–9:30 | Presentation by Mingran Cao
· 9:30–10:00 | Q&A moderated by Floris Harm, CKN/LeidenAsiaCentre
· 10:00 | Event ends
Speaker
Mingran Cao is a PhD candidate at the Leiden University Institute for Area Studies. His PhD project studies cotton plantations in coastal Jiangsu from 1890s to 1950s. It examines how the land reclamation companies, which founded and managed the cotton plantations, negotiated with state, society, and environment, and how they mobilized global currents of knowledge and technology. Alongside his academic experiences, he had previously worked in think tanks and non-governmental organizations in China and the US.