Geoboo Song (University of Arkansas)*
Creed Tumlison (California State University, Bakersfield)
Camille Gilmore (University of Arkansas)
Ryan Ramaker (University of Arkansas)
Ben Galloway (University of Arkansas)
Rinjisha Roy (University of Arkansas)
Victor Akakpo (University of Arkansas)
Nataliia Borozdina (University of Arkansas)
Briana Huett (Rutgers University, Newark)
Mohammad Mizanur Rahman (University of Arkansas)
Annette Nyoni (University of Arkansas)
*Corresponding Author
Geoboo Song, Ph.D.
Department of Political Science, University of Arkansas,
Old Main 428A, Fayetteville, AR 72704, USA
Email: gbsong@uark.edu
Phone: +1.479.575.6433

doi: 10.18278/cpj.4.1.3

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Abstract
Advancing policy scholarship in China and across the Global South requires a dynamic, collaborative research ecosystem that bridges national and disciplinary boundaries. The Policy Studies Journal (PSJ) has long advanced this goal by integrating diverse policy perspectives to address governance challenges. In his keynote at the International Conference on China Policy Studies (ICCPS), PSJ Editor-in-Chief Dr. Geoboo Song emphasized the need for adaptable policy process theories and cross-border collaboration. Building on his insights, this paper explores how transnational research collaboration can enrich theory and generate innovative responses to global challenges such as climate change, inequality, and public health. In recent years, Chinese policy scholars have made notable progress in both theoretical and applied policy research, contributing to this growing international dialogue, yet some barriers continue to limit their full participation in the global policy community. Forging enduring partnerships between the Global South and the West is both a strategic necessity and an intellectual imperative for addressing shared policy dilemmas.

Keywords: Research collaboration, comparative policy studies, policy theory development, China, Global South