We spoke to Jing Gu, a political economist with a focus on development policy and impact. Jing is the Director of the Centre for Rising Powers and Global Development at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), as well as an Academic Editor for Third World Quarterly (TWQ).
Jing touches on her academic journey, her responsibilities at the IDS, on China’s role in development and Global South collaborations, and on how we can work together to decolonise academia.
- Tell us about yourself, for example where did you grow up, and how did you begin your academic and professional journey?
I grew up in Shandong Province in China and moved to the UK to study and work in October 2000. I studied law and financial accounting first, but later moved into international political economy in my doctoral research. I have specialised in international development during my time at Institute of Development Studies (IDS).
- Could you tell us a bit more about your research on China’s development policy, BRICS and South South Cooperation?
I am particularly interested in understanding the way China’s approach to development and its development policies are complex, multi-dimensional and evolving rapidly. China’s emphasis is on multilateralism and building upon China’s long history of cooperation with countries of the Global South to work through groups such as BRICS and through the South-South Cooperation process and the different partnership principles they embody. In particular, my research examines issues of sustainability, governance, the role of business and, of course, the continuing post-pandemic challenges facing the Global South. I am also researching the possibilities and potential problems of emerging technologies, digitalisation and human development.
- Can you tell me a bit about your role as Director of the IDS China Centre and the Centre for Rising Powers and Global Development?
My work at the Centre is hugely rewarding. I help nurture, support and promote an open space and enabling environment in which high quality, cutting-edge inter-disciplinary research, critical dialogue, empirically-based policy advice and postgraduate study, focused on the rising powers in global development, can grow and develop.
My responsibilities are to help guide the strategic development of the Centre. This involves building and encouraging strong and effective collaborative relationships across IDS and internationally, especially with partners across the Global South and to support the work of the Centre and its networks in producing timely and original publications.
As a Senior Research Fellow, I also have my own research, where I actively publish, teach postgraduates and supervise PhD students, speak at conferences and high-level meetings around the world as well as acting in a number of policy consultancy capacities to international organisations and NGOs. In addition, I am adjunct Chair Professor in International Development at China Agricultural University.
- What do you think China’s role is in international development and in Global South collaborations?
China has become a major force for global development in recent years, while its approach to global engagement has changed rapidly and fundamentally.
New institutions and strategic initiatives – such as the Asian Infrastructure and Investment Bank, Belt and Road Initiative, Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, Global Civilization Initiative, and China International Development Cooperation Agency – are being promoted by the central government, and are driving changes in the practices of actors across the Chinese system. China has also become an important source of direct foreign investment and the biggest financial provider in many developing countries.
China’s size and strategic importance mean that we need to consider China in almost all areas of policy and think beyond trade and investment. China’s overseas activities have become increasingly critical for global development, particularly for development in developing countries, governance, climate change and global health. Beyond these areas we must also engage with China in relation to biodiversity, food and agriculture, energy transition security, space exploration and governance of artificial intelligence. We have a much greater chance of advancing all these issues internationally if we can find ways to cooperate effectively, and develop collective responses to shared, global challenges.
- What are some of the challenges of researching in China?
Research obstacles largely depend on the topic researched and how the research is conducted. The availability, quality and access to data can vary considerably depending on where the research is being undertaken, for example in rural areas.
Geopolitical tensions also are creating great challenges with impacts on the possibility of carrying out meaningful research. The atmosphere in some parts of the world for research collaboration with China appears to be worsening. Some funders’ requests are becoming less academic and more overtly political.
The pandemic also has had a huge impact on China studies. There was almost no possibility of doing fieldwork in China from the end of 2019 until early 2023. Travel to and from China was extremely difficult due to China’s zero tolerance policy on COVID 19.
- What do you think are the biggest obstacles in decolonising the university curriculum today?
‘Decolonisation’ of universities, and of wider societal and international domains and institutions, in my view, has various dimensions and these are really mutually reinforcing.
The challenge is to deconstruct the curriculum to examine the power of underpinning values and assumptions that continue to construct the structures, processes and outcomes of teaching and learning and research in academia.
Reconstructing the curriculum in a way that goes beyond simply adding in to the existing programme, but creates a new, inclusive narrative is important in challenging the authorship, “decolonising the mind” and reclaiming ownership. Decolonising reading lists is an integral part of the work of decolonising the curriculum and enables all students to explore and reference diverse viewpoints, experiences and beliefs in their work.
- What has been the biggest challenge for you in your academic career so far?
I think the biggest challenge was moving to a new country and understanding its culture, ways of life and its people. I was fortunate to go to welcoming universities and to work in a warm and supportive institute.
- What has been your biggest achievement or proudest career moment?
There are so many memorable moments in my professional life. In the earlier phase of my career, I was appointed as one of the youngest female civil judges in the whole of China, through to my quite difficult decision to leave this ‘golden rice bowl’ position to pursue further studies of law and development in the UK. I was the first Chinese Research Fellow working on China and International Development at IDS. More recently, I have been appointed as Chair Professor in International Development at China Agricultural University. This honour is in recognition of my contribution in development policy thinking and studies on rising powers, BRICS and international development, as well as on understanding China’s role in global development. I am truly grateful for the enduring support from colleagues and partners around the world.
- How would your colleagues describe you? If you had to describe yourself in three words, what would those be?
Supportive, creative and conscientious. They have commented that “Jing has made substantive inputs into the evolving debates on emerging powers as development actors through her individual research and through the IDS programmes, South-South Cooperation, Rising Powers and International Development”.
- You have been an Academic Editor for over two years for TWQ, how and why did you want to get involved?
It was a logical step for me to take. I have been fortunate to meet many scholars from across the Global South and to learn of their research and the challenges they often face in developing their research publishing profiles. As a researcher, author and editor at IDS, taking on an Academic Editorship with TWQ offered an excellent opportunity to engage with scholars across the world and provide advice and guidance on their submissions and to be able to see many of them publish in the journal. It’s a highly rewarding job.
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This interview is part of ‘Meet the Editors’ series where we interview members of the TWQ and Central Asian Survey editorial teams about the career, work, achievements as well as covering hot topics in the field.
