Hugo de Burgh
Director of China Media Centre
Hugo de Burgh BA(Hons) MA PhD FRSA is Professor of the Study of Journalism and Director of the China Media Centre. He is one of a small number of academics which has pioneered the study of the Chinese media outside the Chinese world. Hugo de Burgh’s research examines the roles of journalists, particularly investigative journalists, in both Britain and China. He has published books and academic articles on both.
Hugo de Burgh’s current research deals with the ways in which the Chinese media are investigating and reporting environment issues and the impact of this upon Chinese media and government. The adaptation of the Chinese Party and government information systems to these developments and to the effects of growing internet use is a closely related topic and he has recently conducted a case study research project on this in Zhejiang, which he is currently writing up. As an adviser to Chinese media organisations on producers’ and journalists’ professional development he has also written on this dynamic area.
Hugo de Burgh established the China Media Centre as a focal point for researchers, Visiting Scholars and postgraduates from the Chinese media industries. Started with a grant from the Quintin Hogg Trust and tasked to become self funding, its knowledge transfer and consultancy activities – along with grants for specific projects from RCUK and Leverhulme – now fund the Centre, including staff salaries, scholarships, fee waivers, academic conferences and seminars.
Hugo de Burgh holds a Professorship at Tsinghua University under the Chinese Ministry of Education’s 985 programme for bringing ‘key knowledge and talents’ to China, is International Dean in the School of International Journalism at Xinan University of Policy & Legislation and Honorary Professor of Shandong University. In addition to these leading Chinese academic institutions, he has close working relationships with Fudan University, with whom he set up the first International Media Academic Exchange in 1997, and China Communications University, where a Research Summer School is held each year. In 2010 he was appointed to Chair the Board of the International Accreditation Committee for Media and Communications of Tsinghua University.
In the UK has been a Board Member, Great Britain – China Centre (a UK public body), since 2006 and Adviser on Higher Education Links for Communications and Media, British Council. He was responsible for content of the Smith Institute, 11 Downing Street series of 5 seminars Valuing China 2005-6 and initiated and directed The China Impact: The Westminster Hearings on China’s Economic Development and the UK, 5 conferences for the All-Party Group on China and the Select Committee for Trade & Industry 2006-7. He was Chair of the (Foreign Office) Global Opportunities Fund Human Rights Project 2005-2007 and recently directed China and the New Green Deal for the All Party Parliamentary Group on China as well as advising the FCO on the latest Wilton Park China conference.
He is regularly a keynote speaker in China at both academic and media institutions. Recent speaking engagements in the UK have been at Oxford University, the Frankfurt Book Fair, Wilton Park, Battle of Ideas, Royal Institute of International Affairs and the All Party Parliamentary Group on China.
Publications
Hugo de Burgh’s books already published include Investigative Journalism (Routledge 2nd edition 2008), The Chinese Journalist (Routledge 2003), Making Journalists [The internationalization of journalism, including Latin America, the Arab World, Africa, Continental Europe, India and the USA] (Routledge 2005), China and Britain: the Potential Impact of China’s Development (Smith Institute 2005) and China Friend or Foe? (Icon 2006) His (2008) report of the Westminster Hearings, China Impact, published by McKinsey Consulting, was launched in London (in the House of Commons) and in China by the Chairman of the Banking Reform Commission.
Books and journal articles in press:
(with Zeng Rong) Opportunities for environmental and climate change journalism in China: Overview and interview findings Copenhagen: IMS
(with Zeng Rong) China’s Environment and China’s Journalists New York: Intellect
记者的动机Chapter 3 in [ed] 应对西方媒体:新闻发言人及新闻官国际工作 Facing Western Media: the work of Chinese Spokesmen Beijing: Tsinghua University Press
(with Zeng Rong and Chen Siming) Chinese Television, ‘Internationalisation’ and the search for creativity
In progress:
(single authored book) China Green and Red: the Chinese media and the threat of Environmental Catastrophe
(single authored book) The Fourth Arm: China’s Media in the 21st Century
(article, with Mi Miao, Zeng Rong) [working title] The Evolution of State Media Handling under the influence of Social Media and of Environmental Reporting
(single authored article) [working title] Case Study of Environment Reportage
Contact
Tel: +44 (0)20 7911 5000 (ext. 4416)
Email: cmc@wmin.ac.uk
