“Development of China’s social security system and its reform” and “Challenge and Dilemma: Resurgence of Indigenous Religion in China”

 Two lectures organised on Thursday 4 October 2018 at 18:00.

 Place: MSA 4.500 Room, 4th floor, Belval Campus.

 Free entry and open to all.

Development of China's social security system and its reform

Prof. Ding Chun
Director of Centre for European Studies as well as Dutch Study Centre at Fudan University.
Dr. of Economics.

The evolution process, framework and status quo of China's social security system include social insurance, social relief and social welfare especially since reform and opening up will be briefly introduced, then the presentation will focus on the reform and reconstruction of social insurance schemes such as pension, healthcare, unemployment insurance and work related injury I insurance etc., with funding and beneficiary arrangements, social relief for urban and rural areas as well as poverty alleviation. Finally, the problems, challenges like ageing population of the system will be discussed.

Challenge and Dilemma: Resurgence of Indigenous Religion in China

Prof. Fan Lizhu
Professor of Sociology at Fudan University.
Director of Globalization and Religious Studies.

The revival and development of indigenous religion in China since the reform is discussed in three aspects: popular (folk) religion and community ritual, lineage system and ancestral temple and Confucianism as a belief system. Chinese indigenous religion has been recognized as traditional cultural heritage and used as building blocks in the re-construction of Chinese identity. This is true for ordinary people in their everyday life, and even so in some official discourse. However, the revival and development of Chinese religion leave a distasteful awkwardness of lack of justification and legitimacy. A prerequisite for the solution for this contradictory situation depends on the clarification and re-definition of some basic concepts related to religion, which requires joint endeavors from both the government and the academia.