Business education has become increasingly important in China as the country embraces the global market economy. At the same time, China has also sought to retool its market-related legal structures, especially in the wake of its entry into the World Trade Organisation at the end of 2001. In this context, China has sought to restructure an economy dominated by flagging state-owned enterprises and to create more room for private-sector enterprises to operate and prosper.

This has given a new urgency to modernising China's corporate governance structures and introducing rules and practices that are regarded as essential to any market-based society. This project gathers academic staff and research students from three of the most innovative Chinese universities in Beijing to examine the implications for Chinese corporate governance of the country's entrance to the WTO.

The three universities are:

• China University of Political Science and Law;
• International University of Business and Economics; and
• Northern Jiaotong University.

Victoria University already has memoranda of understanding with these universities and in some cases, operates joint teaching and research programs such as the Victoria University MBA program at Northern Jiaotong University. Similar teaching programs are being developed at the China University of Political Science and Law. But little of this activity has a strong research focus.

This project seeks to bring together leading Chinese and Australian academic researchers and writers in the areas of law, accounting and applied economics. Some Victoria University staff already take part in policy-making debates in Beijing. Victoria University has also developed links with the highest levels of the PRC Ministry of Justice and the National Judges College. We are keen to extend this level of activity by further engaging a number of leading Beijing-based universities in a research project with significant national implications.

Ultimately, this project will provide the foundations for other research projects to further enhance the profile of Australian universities in China. Visit related Website.