Qian Zhao offers a working paper on 'Trial Comparative Research of Chinese and Britain Cultural Entrepreneurs in pre-modern Time'

My research is on Chinese young cultural entrepreneurs under socio-technological innovations in China. In a close observation of Chinese entrepreneurs, we can observe an interesting phenomenon that a group of Chinese entrepreneurs, especially some famous successful ones have many cultural actions in their economic activities.
In this paper, I would like to turn to historical comparative analysis of cultural entrepreneurs in Britain and China in pre-modern time and try to answer the questions as following: how should we view this cultural entrepreneurship phenomenon, unique or ubiquitous? How they acted as cultural entrepreneurs? Where did their cultural propensity come from? As a part of my dissertation in the topic of cultural entrepreneurs, I am also very interested in the research of the evolvement of cultural entrepreneurs in history, to find the source and course.
I suppose, given that business and personal values were so closely intertwined, we should find answers in the culture and its relation with entrepreneurs’ certain values. What is less discussed is a set of cultural values that pertain to entrepreneurs’ cultural activities.

Qian Zhao presents a working paper on 'Individualization, Cultural Entrepreneurs and Socio-technological Innovations in China: An Empirical Study'

In the topics related with contemporary China, a universal recognized aspect is that China is in transition. Since the economic reforms in 1978, the socioeconomic stature of China is dramatically different from previous. My project tends to examine the changing Chinese society from the perspective of individual in facing with the tremendous socio-economic changes.

This research starts from the current debate of Chinese individualization. Some scholars argued the Chinese individual bears a strong flavor of possessive individualism while no longer uphold the core values of social collectivism, as the primacy of collective interests over those of individuals. It is problematic if we take this statement as granted. It is also too simple to category China society in the individualism/collectivism dualism. This research’s first purpose is to review Chinese individual as discussed in the literature, identify controversies and debates and consider some critical issues of individualism/collectivism. By focusing on a singular but symbolic group – China young cultural entrepreneurs, the second purpose is to propose conceptual and research strategies in substantiating issue of individualism/collectivism in youth, exploring the changes of behaviors and values under socio-technological innovations in the empirical study.