The Oxford University China-Africa Network (OUCAN) brings together scholars, policy makers and graduate students to facilitate research on critical political, cultural and socio-economic trends in the dynamic phenomenon of China-Africa relations. The rapid deepening and broadening of ties between the African continent and China is one of the most important geopolitical trends of the 21st century for Africa, and China’s economic miracle cannot be understood without analyzing its multifarious partnerships with African countries. The focus is not just on governments and state-owned enterprises, but also on cultural bodies, NGOs, small and medium-sized businesses, minorities and everyday citizens. Founded in 2008, OUCAN aims to go beyond the often extreme news headlines to help provide an empirical basis for a better understanding of the nature and future of these interactions.