Interpreting Data and Data Sources: Tracking China’s Overseas Lending, Development Finance and Global Energy Finance Databases

The Boston University Global Development Policy (GDP) Center manages a suite of five interactive public databases that collectively track hundreds of billions of dollars in Chinese loans and investment to a variety of sectors, including energy and other infrastructure development. The Center manages and updates these databases to provide transparent information and aid research, education, policymaking, journalism and accountability with regards to China’s overseas development finance and projects around the world.

Publishing this data has helped journalists analyze trends and work to understand China’s overseas economic activities. As a resource, these data projects can help stakeholders discover more about China’s overseas lending in an interactive and engaging way.

What is the status of China’s overseas lending? How can reporters use data to analyze the impacts of Chinese development projects and tell unique stories? And what can spatial analysis of Chinese development projects reveal about impacts on sensitive territories?

Alongside the Africa-China Reporting Project, GDP Center researchers and staff will address these questions by demonstrating how to use the databases and sharing key findings from the latest updates. The Africa-China Reporting Project and the GDP Center invite journalists, researchers and professionals to attend the capacity building informative webinar.

Join us on Wednesday, March 8 from 8:00-9:30 AM EST for a database demonstration and discussion on interpreting data and accessing data sources of China’s engagements in Africa and globally.

Speakers:

Bongiwe Tutu, Project Coordinator, Africa-China Reporting Project, Wits Centre for Journalism, University of the Witwatersrand

Maureen Heydt, Assistant Director, Communications and Outreach, Boston University Global Development Policy Center

Rebecca Ray, Senior Academic Researcher, Boston University Global Development Policy Center

Oyintarelado (Tarela) Moses, Data Analyst and Database Manager, Global China Initiative, Boston University Global Development Policy Center

Cecilia Springer, Assistant Director, Global China Initiative, Boston University Global Development Policy Center