Event ReportsPublished on Aug 10, 2010
Observer Research Foundation (ORF), India and Fudan Institute for Advanced Study in Social Sciences Fudan University, China have agreed to undertake a joint research project.
ORF, FUDAN University Joint Project to Study Rural Economies and Governance Practices
In a first of its kind initiative, Observer Research Foundation (ORF), India and Fudan Institute for Advanced Study in Social Sciences Fudan University, China have agreed to undertake a joint research project on rural political economies and governance practices in both the countries.
 
The project titled “Innovation & Entrepreneurship in China and India in relation with Grassroots Democracy and Governance” will attempt to understand how local governance practices in both India and China have affected innovation and economic development at the grassroot level. It will examine by case study method, rural political economies in both the countries and their influence on innovation and local entrepreneurship.

Each village in India was meant to be a self-sufficient unit in the past. However lack of sufficient modernization has led to economic stagnation and mass migration to urban centres for jobs. Likewise, in China, economic reforms started in rural areas thirty years ago, however regional disparity and uneven development in China suggests that some local governance practices, policies and cultural and geographical factors might hinder innovation and economic development in some regions.

The project therefore will examine how certain innovations enhance the capabilities of the local populace and whether grassroot level organization that has brought about tangible change can be emulated elsewhere. The differences in the political, socio-economic, cultural and policy matrixes of the two countries will be underlined. There will be an attempt to identify best practices which can be recommended and adopted. Classic macro-economic models will be utilized to establish frameworks to understand some of the contentious issues in political economies. Cost benefit analysis of investments in village level industries will be done. The prevalence of corruption and checks and balances to counter them will also be studied.

 The project will seek to outline how China and India have, on one hand challenges of internal development and local governance but on the opportunities of micro enterprises, entrepreneurship and innovation.

The MoU on this two-year joint project (2010-2012) was signed between Mr. Sunjoy Joshi, Distinguished Fellow, ORF, and Deng Zhenglai, Dean of Fudan-IAS, in Shanghai. 


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