Abstract:

This report presents the findings of a comparative study of the digital humanities landscapes in the UK and China, based on a literature review and 45 in-depth interviews with academics, funders, policy makers, and professionals across the cultural and technological sectors. It offers the first large-scale, qualitative cross-national comparison of DH in these two countries and explores how cultural, institutional, and infrastructural contexts shape digital scholarship in the humanities.

The research identifies both shared challenges and divergent trajectories in DH development. While the UK has a longer tradition of DH institutionalisation—rooted in academic departments, project-based innovation, and integration with cultural heritage institutions—China’s DH field has grown rapidly in recent years, influenced by national strategies, infrastructural ambitions, and an increasingly interdisciplinary academic environment.

Key findings include:

● Diverse understandings of DH

UK participants often view DH as experimental, interdisciplinary and practice-based, while Chinese scholars describe a fragmented but rapidly growing field, often shaped by institutional constraints and pragmatic goals.

● Funding landscapes

In the UK, competitive, project-based funding is typical, with expanding support for infrastructure and public engagement. In China, funding is more centralised and strategically aligned with government priorities, especially in cultural heritage and smart technologies.

● Infrastructure gaps

Both Countries face challenges in sustaining digital infrastructure. UK stakeholders emphasise interoperability, diversity, access, and sustainability; Chinese participants focus on uneven development, regional disparities, and data standardisation.

● Professional identity and career paths

UK scholars have greater recognition of DH roles, though career progression for technical staff remains difficult. In China, DH identities are less formalised, and professional pathways are emerging but uncertain.

● Collaboration opportunities

There is strong interest in UK-China collaboration, but barriers include linguistic divides, lack of shared platforms, limited cross-national funding, and epistemic disconnections in research practice.

The report concludes with strategic recommendations for funders, researchers, universities, and the Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums(GLAM) sector to strengthen transnational collaboration, build inclusive infrastructures, support emerging professionals, and foster mutual understanding across the UK and China in the digital humanities.

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