The name “CRiL” (pronounced like “krill”) embodies the lab’s vision. Just as krill, the small oceanic creatures, play essential roles in sustaining marine ecosystems, CRiL—initially a student-led initiative at Columbia University—anticipates growing into a dynamic organization that fosters lasting connections from China to the world.
The China Reading & innovation Lab (CRiL) is a graduate student-led initiative based at Columbia University in the City of New York. CRiL aims to cultivate a dynamic community dedicated to exchanging scholarly ideas and transforming them into practical social benefits.
Currently, CRiL focuses on China’s medical field and plans to expand its scope to encompass the broader fields of social science and technology in the coming years. With the unwavering support of Professor Gil Eyal, advisor to CRiL’s founder, we anticipate building numerous interdisciplinary scholarly connections through our academic networks.
In the short term, CRiL plans to bring together like-minded early-career scholars through regular activities as a student-led organization based at Columbia University. These activities will offer our members valuable opportunities to deepen their understanding of China’s medical field through social science approaches and foster a collaborative environment that bridges research and real-world applications.
Looking ahead, CRiL aspires to become a hub for institutional community-building—foster enriching conversations and collaborative opportunities in the heart of New York City, and gradually extending along the Eastern Coast.
In the longer term, CRiL envisions evolving into a THRiL—“Transnational Heuristic Reading & innovation Lab.” It seeks to create a network and platform that transcends national borders, uniting scholars and practitioners from diverse fields to read, share, learn, heal, and innovate.