HSOC Professor Hanchao Lu spearheaded work to house the Center at Georgia Tech. The Center includes scholars from Agnes Scott, Dalton State, Emory, Georgia Gwinnett College, Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia Perimeter, Georgia State, Kennesaw State, Mercer, Oglethorpe, the University of Georgia, and University of North Carolina at Greensboro, as well as The Carter Center. It draws expertise from the universities and institutions around the region, working collaboratively across institutions and jointly with the public and private sectors. The group publishes the journal China Currents.

Founded in 2001, the China Research Center promotes understanding of greater China based on in-depth research and experience. Center Associates are experts on greater China’s history, contemporary politics, economy, business environment, language, culture, and media and are committed to building bridges between the Southeast United States and China, Taiwan, Macao, and Hong Kong.