News

Three UALE member organizations: the City University of New York's Murphy Institute for Worker Education and Labor Studies, the Harvard Law School Labor and Worklife Program, and the UCLA Center for Labor Research and Education, have been awarded a two-year grant from the US State Department advance the field of labor relations in China.

The American universities will partner with Shanghai Normal University's School of Law and Political Science in a multi-level project to develop programs in China ranging from a non-credit extension service to graduate level courses.

Click on "Read More" for a more detailed description of the "Advancing the Field of Labor Relations" project.

Advancing the Field of Labor Relations (ALR)

The City University of New York (CUNY)
Murphy Institute for Worker Education and Labor Studies

Harvard University Law School (Harvard)
Labor and Worklife Program

University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)
Center for Labor Research and Education

in collaboration with

Shanghai Normal University (SHNU)
School of Law and Political Science

The ALR Project was established for the purpose of assisting institutions of higher education in China to:

1) Develop curriculum and translate material that is useful for the study of labor relations practices

2) Develop graduate programs in Labor Relations

3) Develop non-credit programs that serve labor and the broader community (i.e., labor extension services)

The project will have a life-span of two years and is funded by the U.S. State Department. Activities over two years will include:

• Organizing two academic exchanges: one with U.S. scholars visiting China and another with Chinese scholars visiting the U.S. Participants will interview students, discuss pedagogy, share course syllabi, review readings, and develop a curriculum for a graduate program in Labor Relations.

• Establishing a website for faculty exchange of syllabi and reading materials. The emphasis will be on providing a global and comparative approach to the field of Labor Relations.

• Translating Labor Relations reading materials and presentations, selected by Chinese and U.S. faculty (up to 2,400 pages to be translated).

• Developing courses and a graduate certificate program at SHNU to be taught by U.S. faculty with Chinese co-teachers. Simultaneous translation will be offered throughout the program. Three cycles with four courses each will be offered jointly. Participants who successfully complete the program will be awarded a graduate certificate in Labor Relations from the City University of New York. Credits earned will be applicable to a Master’s degree at either SHNU or CUNY. Students for the certificate program will be drawn from SHNU School of Law and Political Science and other schools. Students will also include labor relations practitioners from unions and NGOs who are interested in developing their knowledge and enhancing their skills for advocating on behalf of workers.

• Developing a SHNU labor-extension service that will offer non-credit workshops to labor practitioners, encourage research in the service of the labor movement, provide technical assistance to unions and NGOs, and facilitate union-to-union exchanges and information-sharing.

• Organizing a conference at SHNU to evaluate the program, share materials , solidify networks among stakeholders, and develop the mechanisms that will sustain both credit and non-credit Labor Relations programs after the project terminates.