This workshop calls for research papers about the engaging mechanisms and outcomes across the
whole set of countries and sectors drawn into the BRI project. We specifically encourage the
following papers:
▪ Conceptual and methodological papers focused on how to innovatively rethink
mainstream perspectives on the BRI and the politics of China-BRI recipient countries;
▪ Conceptual papers emphasizing tensions and processes on the interface between
centralization and ‘de-centring’ approaches to the politics of negotiating and
implementing BRI projects;

▪ Empirical papers looking at explicit international comparisons on countries and intra-
regional dynamics related to the BRI process;

▪ Conceptually-driven papers examining the evolving relationships between China
(national and subnational actors) and sub-national/local actors in the BRI recipient
countries;
▪ Empirically rich analysis of sectors as a focal point of analysis across regions or
countries, such as industries and infrastructure projects related to transport, logistics,
agricultural processing, energy, mining and resource production; and
▪ Multi-level game approaches to cooperation and economic decision-making to illuminate
how country leaders and industrial policymakers are engaged with Chinese firms or
policy elites in negotiating and planning for the much-needed industrial infrastructure
under China’s Belt and Road initiative.

Based on the workshop presentation and discussion, we plan to put together a special issue
proposal for inter-disciplinary journals, such as Development and Change, Economy and Society,
Journal of Development Studies, and Review of International Political Economy. The workshop
will also serve as an initial step to establish an international network focussed on strengthening
collaboration among European, African, and Asian scholars working on the BRI. We anticipate
that the meeting will offer a platform for further research activities, seminars, and collaborative
grant applications.

Instructions for Submission

We anticipate that the workshop will take place both online and offline (for local participants in
Hong Kong only) as a public health measure in lieu of corona virus. We will revisit the
possibility of moving this into a two-day workshop depending on the appropriate travel advisory
advice.

If you are interested in participating in the workshop and the special issue, please write a 400
word abstract and submit to j.nem.singh@fsw.leidenuniv.nl or jojo.nemsingh@gmail.com. The
following deadlines will be observed: November 30, 2020 for abstract submission and March
30, 2021 for a 6,000-word draft of the paper. We will provide guidance and individual advice as
regards the fit of the paper and we will notify accepted abstracts by December 15, 2020.