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China Development Studies Elite Seminar Series
The Entrepreneurial Welfare Mix: Community-Based Old Age Services in China
Date: 21 JUN 2024 (Friday)
Time: 16:00-17:30 (HKT)
Mode: Hybrid
Venue: CLL, Department of Geography, 10.10, 10/F, The Jockey Club Tower, Centennial Campus, HKU
Via Zoom: Zoom link will be provided upon successful registration
Registration link: https://hkuems1.hku.hk/hkuems/ec_hdetail.aspx?guest=Y&ueid=94504
Abstract:
Developing an old-age service system that can meet the fast-growing needs of the aging population is challenging. It is increasingly recognised that community-level services should be pivotal in providing services to older people. In this talk, I analyse the experience of community based old age service system in China and argue that the stakeholders of the system are involved in strategise, take risks and search for a viable “business model”. The research draws upon my field research conducted over ten years 2015-2024. The findings show that the old age service system has evolved into a dynamic entrepreneurial welfare mix that actively uses market solutions to address the demand of the society and the state. This research contributes to the theoretical development of the welfare mix. I also discuss the benefits and challenges of this system.
Professor Bingqin LI
Professor, Social Policy Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Australia
External Examiner of the MA China programme
Bingqin Li is Professor in the Social Policy Research Centre at University of New South Wales in Australia and an Honorary Professor at the China Studies Centre at University of Sydney and a research affiliate with University of Johannesburg. Her research is on social inclusion and social policy governance on China and Australia. She received a PhD in social policy at LSE, UK and a PhD in economics at Nankai University, China. She is the current Chair of East Asian Social Policy Research Network.
She had worked with multiple international organisations including EU, World Bank, UNICEF and other UN agencies on various social policy issues in China. For many years, she has advocated to and advised the Chinese governments at different levels to improve social inclusion of rural to urban migrants and people with disability, and to support active aging.
