GECEM Project European Research Council and Global Economic History in China
Dr. Manuel Perez Garcia, Tenured Associate Professor of Global History at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, presented his research in a talk titled "GECEM Project (European Research Council) and Global Economic History in China". He underscored his team's unique approach towards understanding global economic history, challenging the established framework and proposing innovative interpretations.
Funded by the European Research Council, the project spanned from 2016 to 2022, was equipped with a budget of €1.5 million, and aimed to redefine our understanding of early globalization and economic history between China and Europe. The team examined the concept of globalization and its ideological applications, challenging established notions such as GDP per capita as an indicator for economic growth from the early modern period until present day. In particular, they aimed to re-evaluate the concept of "Great Divergence", which posits that Western European economies outpaced Asian economies following the discovery of the Americas.
Dr. Perez Garcia argued for an innovative "power paradox theory". This theory challenges the established understanding of state capacity and autocratic rule, and suggests that concentrated power can have negative effects on governance. The team applied this theory to understand domestic issues within China, and proposed a new interpretation of the Opium Wars as a civil conflict, driven by power struggles between ruling elites. At the heart of their research lies an application of digital humanities. They've created the GECEM Project Database (www.gecemdatabase.eu), incorporating a wide range of digitized sources in multiple languages, that allows for nuanced examination of historical trade networks and social dynamics. One notable case study involved comparing the impact of Chinese silk in local economies, and how global consumption patterns may have influenced the trajectory of the "Great Divergence".