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.
