Dr. David Malloy (left) was in China to establish two new research facilities. -Photo: from private collection

The University of Regina recently established two research institutes in partnership with universities in China. The Research Institute of Multiculturalism and Applied Philosophy at Hunan University and the International Bioethics Research Centre of Shandong Province will create exciting opportunities for researchers in social sciences and humanities.

The majority of past research collaboration with partners in China has been in the areas of science and engineering, said David Malloy, associate vice-president (research) at the University of Regina. "We have this opportunity for partnerships and research in the social sciences and humanities, with the goal of producing some really fruitful research," he said. 

The new institutes, which evolved from Malloy's collaboration with Chinese colleagues, will help further existing research and help foster new ideas for research in specialized areas. Malloy has been named executive director of the institute in Hunan and foreign director in Shandong.

Malloy says the institute at Hunan is open to "all research in the social sciences and humanities that has a cross-cultural aspect." Some research areas proposed thus far include health care ethics and the economics of health care.  

The institute at Shandong will focus on bioethics. Dr. Peilai Liu, a professor of medicine at Shandong University and Malloy worked together in the past. The two felt a formal partnership would strengthen ties and foster further research.

"I envision continued cooperation and research exchanges between our institutions, as well as collaboration in research publications, grants, and presentations," he said. "While distance, culture and language barriers make this a challenging venture, we have established a foundation of trust and experienced early successes."

Creation of these institutes builds on the University of Regina's 30-year relationship with post-secondary institutions in China.

The University of Regina recently celebrated its long-standing history of partnerships with China and announced the official opening of a Confucius Institute on campus, in partnership with Hunan University, which offers instruction in Chinese language, history, cultural diversity, artistic traditions and business practices.