Applicants are invited to join a leading UK-based China research analysis team, investigating ties between the UK and China, including Chinese investment in the UK, Chinese Communist Party influence, transnational repression, technology transfer, profiteering from labour exploitation, and interference in society, business, academia, and public and political discourse.
UK-China Transparency (UKCT), a registered charity, was founded in 2023 on the premise that the public deserve more and better information about connections between the UK and China, and that transparency should be a key pillar of our engagement with the country. The UK and China have a wide-ranging relationship in trade, industry, education, and politics. Ties have grown steadily deeper in the last twenty years, although they have ebbed and flowed according to the prevailing geopolitical climate. UKCT aims to fill a vital gap in knowledge about connectivity between Chinese and British educational and research institutions, companies, NGOs, political groups and government bodies.
It does so by conducting research on key case studies, curating a unique library of primary sources, running public events and outreach initiatives, championing freedom of information, and providing informational support to those in need of it.
We are currently seeking motivated applicants to become research analyst volunteers for our five research programmes: (a) surveillance and repression; (b) strategic technology; (c) influence and engagement; (d) cyber and data; and (e) labour exploitation.
We’d like to take on as many part- or full-time volunteer researchers that we need to cover each of these areas and will recruit according to applicants’ preferences and the time that successful applicants are willing to contribute. Training in investigative journalism and online safety will be provided. Applicants will need to have their own IT equipment.
Further detail on our programme content is as shown below:
- Repression and surveillance, including transnational repression, such as interference in diaspora, suppression of UK-based dissidents, and attempts to exert control over freedom of speech in public discourse.
- Strategic technology, including investigation of technology transfer, collaborative research projects, Chinese investments in strategic industries and subsequent asset stripping, undercover military at British universities, and a lack of security awareness in the British Government on the Party’s military-civil fusion strategy.
- Influence and engagement, including ‘soft power’ mechanisms to shape public discourse and create partnerships through charm diplomacy, non-traditional espionage, strategic manipulation in support of the Party’s official narrative, and the promulgation of false narratives.
- Cyber and data, including offensive cyber operations against UK targets, the promotion of Chinese technology solutions that confer a risk to the UK’s information infrastructure and the targeting of UK-related data for strategic advantage.
- Labour exploitation, including British consumption of goods and services acquired through forced or indentured means, whether in the UK or China.
Volunteer research analysts will contribute directly to our leading policy research, working directly with our director. The role incorporates the following:
Primary and secondary source research:
- Identification of suitable subjects for further investigation.
- Conduct online policy research using Chinese (and other) language sources.
- Analysis of secondary sources, for publication.
- Target audience analysis.
- Drafting of research reports for publication.
- The translation and summary of articles and investigative work from Chinese to English.
Research and analytical support:
- Monitor news and a broad range of China-focused publications for wider contextual knowledge.
- Provide analysis on entities within the Chinese Communist Party and/or the Chinese state, to provide context for our reporting. Some of these may be published.
- Support project work across our programme themes.
- Support the preparation of briefing materials for our education and outreach programmes.
- Maintain research databases.
- Maintain logical frameworks connected to each research project.
- Conduct monitoring and evaluation activities to assess the impact of our work.
Participation in education and outreach activities:
- Represent the charity at conferences on your areas of interest.
- Participate and lead training provided to third parties, as developed and required.
We are looking for people with a passion for the work that we do (see https://ukctransparency.org for further details), with knowledge of China or China studies (preferably from residence or through academic credentials), and with credible and tangible research skills. In addition to having the potential to be a good ambassador for the organisation, you should also have:
- Good written communication skills, with native or near-native command of the English language
- Excellent attention to detail and ability to work to set schedules
- Security awareness
- Capacity to work independently, and a good degree of proactivity
- An interest in developing investigative journalist skills
- Enthusiasm and flexibility
In return, you will get:
- A profile: you’re free to use our logo on your social media and add your experience with us to your CV.
- A reference: we’ll provide honest, supportive feedback to you and help you find paid work beyond your time with us.
- Impact: your work will help us meet our charitable objects and enable us to be the leading source of information on CCP interference in British interests.
- A learning opportunity: direct connection to our CCP investigative research and skills development in a range of areas.
- Mentorship and a flexible working arrangement: weekly coordination meetings with experienced and inspiring team members, plus additional check-ins, flexible hours and remote working.
The charity operates on a very low budget and volunteer research analyst positions are currently unpaid. That said, we are seeking funding that could see provision for paid research and, of course, as we grow, there may be opportunities for longer-term employment.
The post involves remote working. Reasonable and previously agreed expenses will be paid during the period of employment. Owing to the nature of our work, applicants should preferably be UK-based and able to provide two references.
If interested, please send (to info@ukctransparency.org) a CV, a short (one page) covering letter and two examples of work you have previously written, on any subject. Use of AI in your application, although a feature of the role, is discouraged. Please state your preferred three programme areas (in order), your availability, how much time you might be able to spend helping us on a weekly basis, and for how long you think you might like to volunteer. Applications are welcome on a rolling basis. Owing to the anticipated demand for places, feedback cannot be given to anyone who is unsuccessful in being shortlisted.