New Director of Centre for Cultural Relations
One of the world’s leading experts on cultural economics and policy has been appointed as director of the University’s Centre for Cultural Relations.
Professor JP Singh joins the University from George Mason University in Virginia, USA.
As well as leading the Centre for Cultural Relations (CCR), Prof Singh has also been appointed as Chair of Culture and Political Economy.
Culture and international affairs
The author of several books about the interplay between culture and international affairs, his research spans the global political economy, cultural economics, global governance, development, information technology and diplomacy.
Prior to George Mason, Prof Singh was based at Georgetown University for 12 years and at American University before that.
He has advised international organizations such as UNESCO, the World Bank, and the World Trade Organization.
I am delighted to be joining the University. Most of the global problems we’re confronted with now cannot be examined purely within the confines of traditional academic disciplines. Global inequality, for example, speaks to politics but also to economics, sociology and culture. Edinburgh and the Centre for Cultural Relations will be one of the first to cut through these silos in teaching international cultural relations. We have the power, knowledge-base and global connections to deliberate these issues.
The Centre for Cultural Relations
The CCR is a hub for research and knowledge exchange across the University. It has been established to lead the way in understanding how culture, art and sport are connecting people and institutions across the world and how new forms of communication are shaping global society.
The Centre aims to improve understanding of transnational engagements at all levels - from states and diplomats to individual citizens – and how civil society, businesses, and informal associations are used to share ideas.
The CCR is informed by the world-class work of academics from across the University, with expertise in Arts and Culture; Sport; Politics and International Relations; Informatics; and Business.
We are pleased to welcome Professor Singh as the first academic director of the Centre for Cultural Relations. With interactions rapidly changing between people and institutions across the world, studying how ideas and cultures are shared and the impact they have will be of increasing importance. We look forward to Professor Singh’s leadership and insight in this exciting area.