The project is a collaboration between ISS at UiO and CASS on organizing three workshops in the period between 2008 and 2010 bases on the theme "The Nordic Welfare State Model: An Answer to Chinese and Norwegian Challenges". The first workshop held in early November 2008, which was funded by RCN, the University of Oslo and CASS according to the agreement on cost-sharing, focused on the Norwegian model of negotiated settlements of pay and conditions of employment for Norwegian workers. It is the two remaining workshops this application is related to.

The workshop in 2009 will focus on youth, identity, migration and social problems. The Chinese have suggested that looking at methods of handling social inequality and other social problems, as well as criminality, would be of particular relevance. From the University of Oslo this workshop will involve the Department of Anthropology in addition to the Department of Sociology and Human Geography. Furthermore, researchers from Fafo and Norwegian Social Research (NOVA) as well as the Oslo University College will be presenting papers. The preliminary program for the workshop in 2009 is presented in connection with the proposed budget for this workshop in the appendix (prosjektbeskrivelse).

The workshop for 2010 will focus on healthcare, social security and pensions. At this workshop the building blocks of the Nordic welfare state model will be presented along with its instruments: health and social services, pensions and social security, child and family policies. The Department of Economics has already committed itself to come up with participants in that workshop. Again, NOVA and its Welfare State Group as well as Fafo would be key partners. As a continuation of the workshops individual researchers from both countries shall meet in smaller groups and work on developing comparative research projects that focus on the challenges and problems facing China and Norway.