Interview de Philippe Le Corre

Can you present your research during your stay at CY AS?

For the past decade, I have been specializing in China-Europe relations. From the year 2014, I have published extensively on the matter, including a book that came out in 2016: China’s Offensive in Europe (Brookings Press), and several papers for Carnegie. This has led me to study a sub-region and I have now embarked on a project looking more specifically at relations between southern Europe and China. This includes trade, investment, culture and societal exchanges. The topic has become even more timely in recent weeks at the time of Covid-19, as China appears as a possible player in the economies of EU countries such as Italy, Greece and Spain.

Does the Fellows-in-Residence program meet your objectives in terms of research and scientific collaboration?

I am very pleased with the organization and support from the Institute of Advanced Studies at CY Cergy-Paris University. As I feel my research topic is becoming even more relevant, I hope to develop even more links with CY and ESSEC colleagues at the start of the next term.

Describe your impressions of your experience at CY AS

As part of a first cohort, it is always an experiment for incumbent fellows, but the team has been very helpful in creating opportunities for interaction between fellows and other Faculty members. I have found the Maison de la Recherche in Neuville a comfortable place to work, and we do have several fellows this year who belong to the fields of history or social sciences.  I also hope to exchange with more CY students in the next few months.

What will this research period bring to you and to your home university?

It will help building bridges between CY and the US academic institutions I am affiliated with. It has never been more important for Americans to learn about European research, and vice versa. The field of China studies, in particular, tends to be bilateral rather than multilateral. My own perception is that we should develop more common understanding of geopolitical events – including China’s global rise.

Do you have other plans for the future, other destinations in mind?

I have been working outside my home country for many years, including 6 years in the US and will no doubt continue to work across the Atlantic and try to build bridges between Asia, Europe and America.