*Learning objectives*
After the end of the course students will
be familiar with statistical and qualitative methods
understand and assess existing empirical studies
design and execute individual research projects
*Content*
We need empirical knowledge about China if we want to meet the real world challenges posed by China. This means to be familiar with the descriptive literature on China’s economy, its growth rate, foreign trade, or environmental problems as provided by international organizations such as the World Bank or the OECD. It also means acknowledging the input by micro studies on Chinese firms, industries, or innovation that can be found in academic journals. To be familiar with empirical methods is a pre-requisite for understanding the studies available and embarking on individual research projects. The course will therefore introduce statistical methods which identify the general trends in the Chinese economy and qualitative methods which draw attention to the complexity of the modern business world.