Prague Summer School on China: Superpower – Myth or Reality?

In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, many western countries still experience very low or even negative rates of economic growth. In the east, however, The People's Republic of China's GDP has grown at an average of 10% since 1990, while overtaking Germany as the world’s largest exporter. The PRC has been subsequently more assertive on the world stage, both in the arena of diplomacy at various multinational summits, as well as by bolstering its military development program.

Conversely, China faces a great deal of domestic unrest. Outside of bustling growth machines like Beijing and Shanghai, millions of farming villages face extreme poverty and oppression. The Chinese government is notoriously corrupt and the nation's success is predicated on potentially unsustainable and dangerous levels of growth and employment.

The Summer School on China: A World Superpower – Myth or Reality? will explore the complex and delicate worlds of Chinese domestic politics, its economy, Beijing’s foreign policy and its position in the current world order. The goal of the program is to explore, examine and understand how these phenomena relate to and influence each other both domestically and globally. Students will acquire a clearer picture of China’s strengths and weaknesses and will understand the Beijing consensus, the future of the PRC and what China’s superpower ambitions will mean for other states, in both the short and long run.

Why Attend the Prague Summer School on China?

-Stipulate whether China is a communist country, a capitalist authoritarian state, or both

-Analyze China’s economic developments to determine whether Beijing can sustain its enviable economic growth

-Discuss the various domestic and international challenges that may damage China's role as an important player on the world stage

-Spend a week in one of Europe’s most admired cities, combining summer holidays with a challenging academic and networking environment

English