A groundbreaking research collaboration is using theatre and heritage research to shed light on the new Chinese ‘Silk Road’ that is influencing culture, politics and economics across the globe.

The collaboration, between The University of Warwick, National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU), two of Asia’s top ranking universities, is funded by The University of Warwick’s International Partnership Fund. The research is investigating how Chinese leadership performances about the ‘Belt and Roads Initiative’ (BRI) is shaping new cultural industries, identities and international relationships across and beyond Silk Road nations.

It has been nearly 600 years since the Silk Road has been used for international trade, yet the impact on commerce, culture and history across its network continues today. The Chinese BRI plan is to develop new ‘silk road’ trade routes to the rest of the world and expand its influence and cultural power with interdependent markets along the route.

Professor Milija Gluhovic, Theatre and Performance Studies, The University of Warwick said: “Building on concepts and insights from three key disciplines – theatre and performance studies, critical heritage studies, and international relations and geopolitics, our project examines how the Silk Road imaginary is situated historically and geopolitically within international affairs and also how the Silk Road is interpreted, and contested within existing national, regional and cultural contexts.

"Together, our research strands explore the project’s broader aim of mapping the new geo-cultural politics ushered in by the BRI, across national borders and continents, to bring local perspectives into debates and describe the novel relationships among performance, cultural power, and geopolitics.”

The ‘Belt’ initiative is revitalising the ancient Silk Road routes connecting Europe and Asia, while the ‘Road’ establishes new sea maritime infrastructure, connecting Southeast Asia, Africa, and Europe.

The Silk Road has been a key part of Warwick’s Marco Polo International Programme. The Programme has partnered with 36 global institutions to champion the power, importance and impact of cultural interaction, engagement and discovery – both in the past and in the present. Through leading the Thinking through the Silk Roads Connected Community, as part of the EUTOPIA Alliance, Professor Gluhovic has brought educators, researchers, and students from different international universities to this knowledge exchange, underlining Warwick’s ongoing commitment to creating connections across cultures and across the globe.

Associate Professor Marcus Tan, Associate Professor of Theatre, and Chair of Visiting Artist Programme, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore said: “The partnership fund has been instrumental in uncovering research intersections across disciplines, united by a shared focus on the Silk Road and, more recently, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

“Beyond supporting research projects, it has fostered critical dialogue on the BRI’s broader geopolitical implications today. In Southeast Asia, for instance, both public and governmental perspectives vary widely, reflecting a complex performance of economic ambition, geopolitical strategy, and domestic sentiment.”

The International Partnership Fund is now open to new applications as part of the One World Warwick celebrations, showcasing our strategic global partnerships and international opportunities for students.

ENDS

About One World Warwick

The University of Warwick is launching a series of seed funds in collaboration with its strategic international academic partners. One World Warwick was initiated in November 2024 and reflects The University’s vision for a global future, underscoring its role as part of a dynamic network of global partners, collaborators, and innovators.

The National University of Singapore and University of Warwick have been partners since 2019 and their joint seed fund opens in March 2025. The Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Warwick have recently announced they will launch a joint seed fund.

 

For further information contact:

Heather Holve, Media & Communications Officer (Science), The University of Warwick Heather.Holve@Warwick.ac.uk / 07803 052441