Zhejiang University: Digital Social Science kicks off at Zhejiang University
Zhejiang University launched Digital Social Science as a key part of Innovation 2030 on September 9. This program aims to transform the paradigm of social science research and construct a theoretic system for digital social science against a backdrop of China’s digital transformation. This is also the second “Innovation 2030” project led by the discipline of humanities and social science.
Digital technology is shaping the world. The dualistic space consisting of human beings and the physical world is gradually extending to the quadratic space comprised of human beings, the physical world, intelligent machines and the virtual information world. In the new quadratic space, both productive forces and the relations of production will undergo profound changes.
The Chinese government attaches immense importance to digital development and makes a major strategic decision to build a digital country. Digitalization reform is a key component in its comprehensive reform in Zhejiang Province, which help the Province fulfil its full potential in the constantly evolving digital world.
In response to the national and regional strategic needs, Zhejiang University launched the Digital Social Science Convergence Research Project (abbreviated as Digital Social Science). It focuses on a series of key areas, such as digital economy, digital management, digital society and digital government, thereby addressing China’s modernization problems at the next stage of development and accelerate its transformation to a digital nation.
Backed up by computer science and mathematics, Digital Social Science will build an academic system made up of digital economy, digital innovation, digital governance, digital rule of law and digital media, explore new methodology and theory in the digital quadratic world.
Prof. ZHANG Junsen, chief expert of Digital Social Science, said that this project will aim to build a cluster of top disciplines marked by multiple intersections and inter-connected convergence, build a more cohesive multi-disciplinary academic community, serve national strategic and regional development needs in a systematic and well-organized manner, and explore frontier issues in academia, thereby contributing the prowess of Zhejiang University to the construction of China’s autonomous knowledge system in social science.