The “Tianjin Key Research Base for Humanities and Social Sciences - International Research Center for Chinese Cultural Heritage Conservation” (IRC/CCHC) was established in 2006 and has since become an international research platform in the field of heritage conservation. Its core strength is the study of built heritage in China and East Asia, especially that of industrial heritage from the modern period. It has a number of student exchange partnerships (as well as ongoing research projects) with key higher education institutions such as Université Paris I – Sorbonne, and has achieved full domestic recognition as one of the leading think tanks in the field.