Professor Heejin Lee, Yonsei University

The Geopolitics of Digital Technical Standards: China's rise in ICT standardization and the US responses.
Tuesday, 24th January, 10:00
Tutorial room 704 (Main Building, west quadrant South)

Abstract

Technology rivalry between US and China is accelerating without indicating where the end is. One of the pillars of the technology competition is technical standards, especially ICT or digital standardization. China has been making every effort to lead in standardization for more than two decades. After many failures, including WAPI, it began to make an impact, which culminated in 5G standardization. For China, standards are not just a tool of competitive advantage in industrial and economic domains but a strategic vehicle for setting a new geopolitical order. The U.S. views China’s rise in standardization as a challenge to the existing global order. This presentation examines how China has developed its standardization strategies and how the U.S. responds to it. Then it asks what countries like the U.K. and South Korea can and need to do.

Biography

Heejin Lee is a Professor at the Graduate School of International Studies, Yonsei University. Areas of interest and expertise include standards/standardization and ICT4D. He has written extensively on China’s rise in ICT international standardization. He is leading ‘The Center for International Standardization’ at Yonsei University. He has a multidisciplinary background: BA in management and MA in sociology at Seoul National University, and PhD in information systems at LSE. Before joining Yonsei, he worked for the University of Salford, Brunel University and the University of Melbourne. Recent publications include “The changing patterns of China’s international standardization in ICT under techno-nationalism: A reflection through 5G standardization” and “Committee Standards Battles in the Era of Convergence: Implications for Smart Systems” both in the International Journal of Information Management (2020, 2021).

For further information, please contact business-school-research@glasgow.ac.uk.

 

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First published: 13 January 2023

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Professor Heejin Lee

Research Seminars

Strategy and Technology cluster