Unfortunately this minor will not take place in the academic year of 2024-2025.
If you are curious about China and its digital transformation, then this minor is something for you.
Admission
There are no specific entry requirements for this course. The minor doesn’t require an internship or workplace. The most important qualifications to successfully participate in this programme are: curiosity, critical-thing, and open-mindedness.
The Examination Board determines which minors do not have a higher professional education level and/or have an unacceptable overlap with the compulsory curriculum of your own study programme. Check at the page Not allowed minor courses under your institute which minors are not allowed. This page will be updated from 29 February 2024 for the 2024-2025 minor offer.
Content
From the 1950s through the 2010s, the West, led by the US, riding on the back of the post-war economic boom, has steered the global digital revolution. However, the 2010s marked a shift towards a multipolar development in global digital transformation. China’s rapid domestic growth has further translated into international digital influence, while regions like the Global South emerged as new players in the digital arena. This minor is a multifaceted exploration of China’s digital rise. It offers an immersive journey into China’s unique digital landscape, providing students with the opportunity to explore the dynamic intersection of China’s digital economy and digital culture. It dives into the intricate world of tech giants like Alibaba, Tencent, TikTok, Huawei and more to understand how they have redefined the global tech landscape. It also uncovers the secrets behind China’s digital strategies, from the thriving e-commerce ecosystem to cutting-edge advancements in artificial intelligence and blockchain. Additionally, it unravels the complexities of China’s relationships with the Global South through its technological and economic influence.
Learning objectives
Through engaging tutorials and workshops, hands-on projects with real clients, guest lecturers and industrial fieldtrips, you will not only gain insights into the socio-cultural impacts of China’s digital revolution, examining topics such as digital ecosystem, digital censorship, social credit systems, but equip yourselves with the skills and knowledge needed to navigate the rapidly evolving global digital era.
Together with the mindset and thinking methods explored and trained throughout all courses, you will be able to develop creative and critical thinking with competitiveness and compatibility for any working environment, from startups, international companies and businesses that want to enter or already entered China, to join Chinese companies that want to enter or already entered European/global market.
Courses
China’s Digital Ecosystem (10 ECT)
In this course, we explore a landscape where social media channels and platforms form an intricate web, to discover the art of navigating through cultural nuances and media sensitivities, and to decode China’s digital behemoths – the Super Apps. Additionally, we will unravel the latest phenomenon of social e-commerce, learn cutting-edge digital marketing tactics, and step into the arena of the new retail.
Learn about Chinese digital media landscape, including channels and platforms in China’s digital ecosystem. Furthermore, propaganda and censorship media sensitivity, cultural nuances, and Super Apps. Also, the newest developments of the social e-commerce, creative digital marketing practices, as well as the new retail.
New Silicon Valley (5 ECT)
Here, we step through the portal to a realm where China’s digital prowess meets the world’s, in a multipolar dance of digital transformations. We will engage with the titans of tomorrow’s technology – AI, 5G, the Internet of Things, smart manufacturing, fintech, plus the revolutionary Blockchain and Metaverse. Consequently, we grasp the narratives that are propelling China onto the global stage and redefine what we thought was possible in the digital age.
Doing Business in China and other emerging market (5 ECT)
This course is to unlock the secrets to commercial mastery in China and beyond. We will cultivate an understanding of business etiquette and intercultural dialogue, delve into the variegated sub-cultures, and hone practical skills essential for navigating and succeeding in China’s vibrant market and other burgeoning economies.
Practical/research tasks (10 ECT)
This is not just a course, but a crucible of creativity – let the knowledge dance with practice, this project-oriented adventure invites you to apply everything you’ve learned in the Digital China minor to real-world challenges. Collaborate with actual clients, craft innovative solutions, and create either a prototype or a tailored task execution to meet the unique demands of your client project. Your journey will culminate in a tangible testament to your newfound expertise.
Assessment
- Individual assignments such as presentation, explanatory video and reflection report.
- Project work or group assignment (based on amount of participants) to design a China-market focused digital marketing strategy, a new digital business model or an e-commerce plan, based on the needs and requirement of the clients.
Literature
- Ai Superpower, by Kai-fu Lee (Must read)
- Dragon Tactics: How Chinese Entrepreneurs Thrive in Uncertainty, by Aldo Spaanjaars and Sandrine Zerbib (Must read)
- The Internet, Social Media, and a Changing China, by Jacques deLisle, Avery Goldstein, and Guobin Yang (Recommended)
- The End of Copycat China, by Shaun Rein (Recommended)
Schedule
Not known yet.
A tailor-made programme is possible. Students need to contact the minor contact person beforehand.
With the exception of the first teaching period of the academic year (starting September), the lesson and test schedules are always posted on Mijn Rooster four weeks before the start of each teaching period. The schedule for the first teaching period of the academic year can be found on the site three weeks before the start. The most up-to-date schedule is always visible on Mijn Rooster.
At HU, full-time education may be scheduled between 08:30 and 19:00.