2011 Awards

“Developing a Curriculum on Civil Society and Nonprofit Organizations in China” 

Christopher Stone and Anthony Saich (Harvard Kennedy School)

$100K

Christopher Stone and Anthony Saich (HKS) will spend 1.5-years building a cross-discipline curriculum about the development of the citizen sector in China, focusing on understanding the uniqueness of China’s nonprofits against the special political, economic, and cultural backgrounds of China. The Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations will provide programmatic and administrative support in recruiting a team of seminar speakers, supporting teaching faculty, organizing field trips and workshops in China, and partnering with foundations, universities and government agencies in China.

Abstract

Research: “Improving Seismic Hazard Assessment in China and the United States Based on Lessons Learned from the 2008 Wenchuan (M7.9) Earthquake”

John Shaw (Faculty of Arts and Sciences -Earth and Planetary Sciences)

$100K

The two-year grant awarded to John Shaw (FAS-Earth and Planetary Sciences) will enable him to develop state-of-the-art community fault and velocity models for the Sichuan area that will serve as the basis for an improved understanding of earthquake hazards in the region. Collaborations with Nanjing University and PetroChina will lead to field work and research in China, student exchanges, joint publications in scientific journals, and a new course at Harvard on the active tectonics of China.

Abstract

Research: “Young People and Civic Engagement in a Changing Society”

Robert Selman (Harvard Graduate School of Education/Harvard Medical School) and Helen Haste (Harvard Graduate School of Education)

$100K

Robert Selman (HGSE/HMS) and Helen Haste (HGSE) were awarded a two-year grant to explore how Chinese school students conceptualize and experience citizenship and civic and ethical decision-making. The project will involve professors and students from East China Normal University, and broaden our understanding of cultural factors and developmental processes at stake in modern Chinese society.

Abstract

Research and Seminar: “Addressing Stigma to Improve Care for Persons with Serious Mental Illness in China” 

Byron Good (Harvard Medical School) and Arthur Kleinman (Harvard Medical School/Faculty of Arts and Sciences-Anthropology)

$100K

In collaboration with colleagues from the Shanghai Mental Center and the Peking University Institute for Mental Health, Byron Good (HMS) and Arthur Kleinman (HMS/FAS-Anthropology) will spend two years: 1) piloting an innovative model of family support group intervention; 2) developing a strategic plan for addressing social stigma associated with mental illness in China; and 3) organizing a set of seminars and workshops to advance student research on the topic.

Abstract

Course Development – “The Economy of China”

John Campbell (Faculty of Arts and Sciences-Economics)

$90K

To address growing student interest and a lack of current offerings at Harvard, John Campbell (FAS-Economics) has proposed to create a visiting professorship to cover the teaching gap. Qualified candidates will specialize in Chinese or Asian economic development as their main research focus and will be knowledgeable about the broader political and social context. Ideally, they will also have a command of at least one major East Asian Language.

Course Development — “Landscape and Ecological Urbanism: Future Alternatives for Beijing” 

Kongjian Yu (Graduate School of Design)

$30K

Distinguished GSD alumnus Kongjian Yu offered an advanced studio course in spring 2010 related to an existing Peking University program he runs in collaboration with the Beijing Land Bureau and the Beijing Planning Bureau. The studio was conducted with the support of Jane Hutton and Steve Ervin from the GSD. Students performed site analysis using social and economic questionnaires, and developed various urban and landscape strategies for the region based on analysis of the landscape and ecosystems, social economic context, and regional and global comparative studies.

Abstract