The China Studies Centre enhances the University of Sydney’s long tradition of excellence in China research and is a research-informed voice in Australia's public China discourse.
The China Studies Centre at the University of Sydney represents the largest collection in Australia of academic expertise who research China and Chinese culture. Its 129 members are drawn from the social sciences, business studies, health, engineering, the humanities, science, law, architecture, and music.
The Centre’s leading China research is manifest in the activities of its Local China Project and its Sustainability and Well-being in China Project as well as its six research groups:
The Centre works with individuals and groups at other universities and research institutions in China and Australia, and around the world.
The China Studies Centre has an active program of events directed at audiences outside the University of Sydney, including its International Research Webinars; Sydney China Seminars; Inside China Webinars; Talks in Chinese Humanities; and regular book launches for the publications of its members; as well as roundtable discussions on topics of China-related current interest.
Professor David Goodman
Professor David S. G. Goodman is Director of the China Studies Centre at the University of Sydney and a leading social scientist specialising in China, with research focused on local government, social change, and the history of the Chinese Communist Party. He has authored 20 books, edited 31 volumes, and published over 200 academic articles, earning recognition as one of the Stanford‑Elsevier Top 2% of scientists since 2019. A Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia, he has received major honours including the China Friendship Award and a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2025. Over a long international academic career, he has held senior leadership roles and helped establish multiple major research centres and China studies programs across the UK, Australia, and China.
View a list of current members from the University of Sydney.
Level 7, Jane Foss Russell Building G02
University of Sydney NSW 2006
Phone: +61 2 9114 0837
Email: chinastudies.centre@sydney.edu.au