Research and Projects
Dr. Marina Rudyak examines how China defines its role in the international order and shapes global processes through development cooperation, political narratives, and institutional strategies.
Her research focuses on how political terms and concepts are understood from a Chinese perspective and how they exert influence on the international stage.
As a Moscow-born scholar who speaks fluent Russian and Chinese and systematically works with primary sources, she combines linguistic and cultural expertise with a thorough analysis of political processes.
China and Global Development
A key focus of her research is China’s growing role in global development cooperation. Over the past few decades, China has evolved from a recipient of international aid to a major player in development financing.
Her work examines the institutions, decision-making processes, and financing instruments underlying China’s development cooperation, as well as their impact on partner countries. In particular, she analyzes how infrastructure projects, development programs, and security interests are intertwined.
As part of the research project ChinaGlobal she examines the role of development, infrastructure, and security in China’s international engagement and analyzes how China is advancing its vision of a global order within the international system.
Political Language and Strategic Narratives
Another focus of her research is the analysis of political language and strategic narratives in Chinese foreign policy. Her work is based on the premise that political terms do not merely describe political reality but actively help shape it.
As part of the Decoding China Project, she examines how key concepts of international cooperation—such as development, multilateralism, and partnership—are understood and used in official Chinese discourse.
In the Horizon Europe project De-Conspirator she also analyzes how the Chinese government uses semantic strategies to establish political narratives and influence public debates.