In the 2024 USR Environmental Sustainability Series Lecture at Taipei City University, we were honored to invite Dr. Chen Liangyu, Assistant Professor from the Department of Social and Policy Sciences at Yuan Ze University, to share his field research experience in China on climate governance. Dr. Chen holds a Ph.D. in Human Geography, Planning, and International Development Studies from the University of Amsterdam, and has published research on local climate governance in China in the Journal of Chinese Governance. His educational and research background has equipped him with the ability to deeply understand and analyze complex policy issues, particularly in the context of climate change policy as a global challenge in China. Dr. Chen's lecture covered the basic concepts of climate change policy and sustainable governance, followed by a discussion on the current state of China's climate governance. He shared insights into how he focused his research on experts, raising key research questions such as what types of knowledge policymakers need at different governance levels to formulate or implement policies, and what role experts play in China's climate policy process at various levels. Dr. Chen also shared the methods he employed in his research on Chinese climate policy, including literature analysis and in-depth interviews. His field research experience is rich, spanning from participating in international climate conferences to conducting field interviews in Beijing and Guangzhou, involving a broad network and multiple institutions. During this process, he faced various challenges, such as difficulty in contacting interviewees, differences in policy understanding, and how to effectively integrate the collected information into his research. His experience highlights the uncertainties and challenges of fieldwork, while also offering unique insights into conducting research in a political environment like China's. Finally, Dr. Chen summarized his reflections, emphasizing that field research is a non-linear accumulation process. He discussed his dual identity as a Taiwanese scholar and international student conducting fieldwork in China. He also elaborated on the importance of triangulation in validating research data. The entire lecture provided profound insights into conducting field research in China, while also offering an in-depth exploration of both the international and local aspects of climate change policy. Through Dr. Chen’s personal experience, the audience gained a deeper understanding of the complexities and multidimensional considerations involved in climate governance research.

Implemented by Center for Teaching and Learning Development
Date: 2024/03/29