The British Postgraduate Network for Chinese Studies 2026 Annual Conference took place on 11–12 June 2026 at Durham University under the theme “Encounters and Connections: China Across Time and Space”. Over the two-day event, we hosted 46 panelists across the UK as well as overseas, including Ireland, Italy, Hong Kong, and the United States. We were honoured to welcome Professor Kerry Brown of King’s College London and Dr Yimin Zhao of Durham University as our keynote speakers, and the conference programme featured a diverse range of panels exploring China and the Sinophone world across different historical periods, geographical contexts, and disciplinary perspectives, reflecting the breadth and interdisciplinary nature of Chinese Studies.
BPCS 2026 was generously supported by the British Association for Chinese Studies (BACS), the School of Modern Languages and Cultures at Durham University, and the Centre for Comparative Modernities at Durham University.
BPCS 2026 Committee members Yinuo Zhang, Weiyu Yuan, and Chengzhe Yao.
Professor Kerry Brown joined by chair, Professor Don Starr.
Professor Kerry Brown delivering the first keynote, “Europe and China: A Joint Narrative?”
Dr Yimin Zhao delivering the second keynote, “Global China at Home? The transduction of speculative urbanism.”