Social Sciences in China (Chinese Edition)

No.6, 2018

 

Research on International Relations in the Era of Big Data

(Abstract)

 

Qi Haixia, Dong Qingling and Hu Jian

 

“Big data” is massive data that took shape on the basis of the Internet platform. Its emergence has raised informatization to a new stage, launching our journey from the IT era to the era of big data. Big data is changing the way in which we understand the world, revolutionizing technology and industry, and affecting the comparative strength of the powers and the pattern of future international strategies. When he visited the Chinese Academy of Sciences in July 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping pointed out, “Big data is a ‘free’ resource for industrial society. Whoever masters the data has the initiative.” At the second collective study session of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee on December 8, 2017, President Xi Jinping emphasized once again that big data is developing so rapidly that it is necessary to understand the situation, plan carefully ahead of time and strive to take the initiative. From the point of view of academic research, big data means a revolution in thinking. What impact, then, will it have on the emerging study of international relations in China? With this question in mind, we have invited three scholars to join in a discussion. Associate Professor Qi Haixia from the Institute of International Relations of Tsinghua University has researched the overall impact of big data on the present study of international relations; she believes that big data has not only had a great impact on the study of international relations, but has also opened up a new path for theoretical innovation, especially methodological innovation. Professor Dong Qingling at the Institute of International Relations of the University of International Business and Economics specifically discusses the application of big data in research on conflict prediction, and proposes making use of the situational awareness of big data to reshape the model and pathway of international conflict prediction. From the perspective of the entry of big data into national power structure, Hu Jian, a research fellow from Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, has epistemologically reexamined the connotations and evaluation of national power. He argues that the introduction of big data into national power structure not only provides a new dimension for identifying national power. More importantly, it reveals the brand new composition of national power in the context of big data, reflects the most recent moves of states as important international actors in the game of power. We hope that these papers can stimulate international relations experts to produce more valuable thinking about academic research against the background of big data.