Events

2018 CA-Shanghai Innovation Dialogues: From Fintech to Insurtech in China and the US
Sept. 28-29, 2018
This year's California-Shanghai Innovation Dialogues brought together scholars, policymakers, and industry professionals to consider how China's rising middle class, on the one hand, and shifts in the US labor market from stable to "gig" employment, on the other, intersect with emerging technologies to provide consumer-facing financial products and services, from insurance to consumer loans.

2018 Young Scholars Conference
May 24-25, 2018
The conference theme “China and the World: Development · Governance · Security” was broadly construed to include quantitative, data-driven studies and qualitative studies from all social science disciplines. The conference brought young scholars globally together so they can exchange ideas and share research findings. The conference aims to become a dynamic forum for international and cross-disciplinary participants to build new synergies and develop future collaborative projects.

 2017 Young Scholars Conference
May 19-20, 2017
This annual conference started out in 2014 as a platform to bring young scholars from China’s Fudan University and the ten University of California campuses together to present their current research. It has expanded to include young scholars from other Chinese and American universities who study contemporary Chinese society, politics and economy. The annual gathering provides a great opportunity for the young scholars to exchange ideas, network with each other and develop fruitful collaborations in future.

"Very Close Encounters: Modern China at the Grassroots"
Jan. 18, 2017
Distinguished Professor of History and Chinese Studies Paul Pickowicz recounted lessons from decades of on-the-ground research on Chinese society, including gripping filmed interviews he conducted in rural China in the 1980s.

"The Impact of Tsai and Trump on Cross-Strait Relations"
Jan. 10, 2017
Tsai Ing-wen came to power in Taiwan, pledging to pursue stability and continuity in cross-Strait relations. Beijing has responded with a cold shoulder and a cold peace. President-elect Trump broke with precedent through a phone call with Tsai and comments casting doubt on the U.S.’s long-standing “one China policy.” In this talk, Jacques deLisle, the Stephen A. Cozen Professor of Law at the University of Pennsylvania, discussed what do these developments imply for Taiwan’s status and security, Beijing’s and Washington’s Taiwan policies, and U.S.-China relations?

"Mr. Deng Goes to Washington"
Nov. 20, 2016
This riveting documentary tells the story of Deng Xiaoping's historic visit to the U.S. in 1979 that changed the trajectory of U.S.-China relations and the world. The film screening was followed by conversation about the historical role of Deng and U.S.-China relations post-election.

“UC San Diego China Partnerships: Looking Back, Looking Forward”
Nov. 1, 2016 |  | More information (PDF) | Video
Paul Pickowicz, UC San Diego’s Distinguished Professor of History and Chinese Studies, presented a rare short film about UC San Diego's official visit to China in 1979, just months after the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between the U.S. and the People's Republic of China. The screening was followed by reflections from members of the original delegation and a look ahead to the university's multidisciplinary collaborations with Chinese universities and institutions.

CHINA Town Hall: "Charting a New Course for the U.S.-China Relationship"
Oct. 18, 2016
China's rapid development and Sino-American relations have a direct impact on the lives of just about everyone in the U.S. CHINA Town Hall is a national day of programming designed to provide Americans across the U.S. and beyond the opportunity to discuss issues in the relationship with leading experts.

“China’s Governance in Transition"
Sokwanlok Distinguished Lecture
Oct. 10, 2016
In the second Sokwanlok Distinguished Lecture on China, YU Keping, a renowned scholar and advocate of reform in China addressed the great changes in governance since the economic reform. He traced the principal lines of governance reform in China since the 18th Party Congress and assessed the main challenges going forward.

California-Shanghai Innovation Dialogue
Sept. 12-14, 2016 | Fudan University, Shanghai
The Second California-Shanghai Innovation Dialogue gathered prominent Chinese and American business executives, policy experts, scientists and scholars to discuss the state of innovation in California and Shanghai. The two-day dialogue was jointly organized by Fudan University and UC San Diego. It took place on Fudan University’s campus in Shanghai, welcoming government officials, academics, university leaders, business people, media and students.

“Running a Bank in China”
May 26, 2016
How is Chinese economic growth financed? GPS Associate Professor Victor Shih hosted a conversation with Ken Wilcox, emeritus chairman of Silicon Valley Bank, to get an inside look at how banking practices have evolved in a state-dominated financial system and firms' adaptiveness to recent financial crises.

Young Scholars Conference: "Social Sciences and China Studies"
May 20-21, 2016 | Download the agenda (PDF) | Read more (PDF)
The overarching theme for the 2016 conference was “Social Sciences and China Studies.” It involved contributions from all social science disciplines that address critical issues in politics, law, economy, environment, media and information, and social change.

“China After the One-Child Policy”
April 19, 2016
Thirty-five years after its nationwide implementation, China finally announced the end of the one-child policy in late 2015. How did this change come about? What are the demographic, economic, and social imperatives that have led to this much-delayed policy reversal? This presentation addressed these questions and discussed in particular the roles of China’s changed demographics in its economic growth and political governance in the coming decades.

“The Changing Geopolitics of East Asia”
The Fourth Annual Robert F. Ellsworth Memorial Lecture
March 28, 2016
In this talk, Ambassador J. Stapleton Roy discussed the implications for the U.S. of the gradual erosion in its air and sea dominance in the Western Pacific caused by China's rapid military modernization.

"Critical Issues in China's Economic Reform and Transition"
Jan. 7, 2016 | Read more (PDF)
Energy, environment, industrial policy and indigenous innovation, there are some of the critical issues facing China’s economy today. Three experts from Fudan University’s School of Economics will share their latest research and insight in a panel discussion organized by the Fudan-UC Center on Contemporary China, with co-sponsorship from the 21st Century China Program.

Sokwanlok Distinguished Lecture on China "Understanding China's New Normal"
Dec. 8, 2015
Speaker: Qian Yingyi (钱颖一), Professor, Department of Economics; Dean, School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University
As China's economic growth rate has declined to 7.5% in 2014 from its recent historic average of 9.8%, the once unstoppable economy is said to have entered a “new normal.” This new paradigm is forcing China's leaders to face a series of new and vexing questions.

"Are the U.S. and China Headed Toward a New Cold War?"
Nov. 13, 2015 | Video
In the wake of Xi Jinping's visit to the U.S., three of the world's preeminent experts on China and the U.S.-China relationship offered an in-depth analysis of what ails relations between the two countries.

"Aporia of Ethnicity and the State"
Oct. 19, 2015
Modern China, like other multi-ethnic nation-states, faces the aporia of the state and ethnicity. By treating the contestation between the state and ethnicity as a global cultural issue, the speakers intend to diachronically discuss the evolution of Chinese state’s policy on ethnic diversity.

"China Townhall: Chinese Investment in the United States"
Oct. 5, 2015
The 21st Century China Program partnered with the Global Education Initiative at The Bishop’s School to host the eighth annual China Town Hall by the National Committee on United States-China Relations. The program opened with a live webcast on the growth of Chinese foreign direct investment in the United States with Robert Rubin, Secretary of the Treasury under President Bill Clinton; Sheldon Day, Mayor, Thomasville, Alabama; Daniel Rosen, Founding Partner, Rhodium Group; and Stephen Orlins, President, National Committee on U.S.-China Relations. View video.

“Economic Impact of Mobile Technologies in China and India”
Speakers: Nate Tibbits, senior vice president of Government Affairs at Qualcomm, Inc. and David Michael, senior partner at Boston Consulting Group
June 2, 2015
Mobile technology has had an enormous impact on the global economy. The Boston Consulting Group and Qualcomm, Inc. have recently made an in-depth study at this impact, and during this event they discussed their research, putting a spotlight on China and India as two case study markets.

“中国水危机"
Speaker: 戴晴, activist and journalist
May 27, 2015
One dilemma shared by both China and California is the increased scarcity of water owing to poor resource management and climate change. Dai Qing, one of China's most remarkable public intellectuals and a long-time activist on environmental issues, explored how China's coming water crisis will affect its economic and political future.

“China's Powerful Patriots: Nationalist Protest in China's Foreign Relations”
Speaker: Jessica Chen Weiss, Yale University assistant professor and MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies fellow
May 20, 2015
Jessica Chen Weiss argues that nationalist street demonstrations can provide diplomatic leverage for authoritarian governments that are not electorally accountable to public opinion, enabling Chinese and other authoritarian leaders to signal their intentions and tie their hands in international negotiations.

“China's New Agenda: National Governance and Development”
Speakers: Lin Shangli, vice president of Fudan University and Susan Shirk, chair of the 21st Century China Program at GPS
May 19, 2015
This special event featured a dialogue between two of the most observant and experienced observers of Chinese politics, Susan Shirk and Lin Shangli. Their discussion explored the new paradigm of Xi Jinping's governance model as well as the future of U.S.-China relations. Reception prior to talk.

Governance in China: Fudan-UC Young Scholars Workshop
May 14 - 15, 2015 | UC San Diego
This academic conference provided a platform for young scholars from China’s Fudan University and the 10 University of California campuses to present current research on contemporary Chinese society, politics and economy, exchange ideas and network with each other.

"China's Economic Strategy in the Midst of the 'New Normal'"
Speaker: Zhang Xiaojing (张晓晶), professor and head of Macro-economics Department, Institute of Economics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences 
April 28, 2015
Since the global financial crisis of 2008, economic growth rates in China have slowed such that many are wondering if the country will be able to maintain the stability is has achieved over the past two decades. The Chinese government is calling this new era of lowered growth rates the "New Normal," and to help us make sense of what this means, we were delighted to welcome one of China's most influential economists, Zhang Xiaojing.

The Field of Guanxi Studies
March 6 – 7, 2015 | UC Berkeley
This conference brought together more than a dozen experts from around the world to share their recent research and thinking about guanxi, its historical and cultural foundations and contemporary evolution along with China's reform and globalization.

“U.S.-China Economic Relationship: Opportunities and Prospects”
The Third Annual Robert F. Ellsworth Memorial Lecture
Speaker: Robert D. Hormats, vice chair of Kissinger Associates Inc. and former under secretary of state for Economic, Energy and Environmental Affairs
March 2, 2015
In this lecture, Mr. Hormats discused China's foreign policy under Xi Jinping, as well as the challenges and opportunities faced by the U.S. as China's influence abroad continues to expand.

Jerome Cohen: "The Rule of Law Under Xi Jinping"
Speaker: Jerome Cohen, professor of law, New York University School of Law
Feb. 24, 2015
Jerome Cohen, one of the leading experts on China's legal institutions, discussed recent developments in China's legal system as well as the fallout from the Zhou Yongkang corruption case and recently announced decisions following the Fourth Plenum. Cosponsored with the 21st Century China Program.

“How Innovation Works in California and Shanghai”
Panelists: Jin Li, Fudan University vice president; and Jim Wunderman, Bay Area Council president and CEO
Moderator: Peter Cowhey, School of Global Policy and Strategy dean
Feb. 5, 2015
As two of the world’s most dynamic economies, California and Shanghai are recognized globally as leading and emerging innovators. This panel of leading experts from both regions explored the strengths and weaknesses of the different innovation models being pursued in their regions. This event was part of the inaugural California-Shanghai Innovation Dialogue.

California-Shanghai Innovation Dialogue
Conference and Keynote Address
Feb. 5 – 6, 2015
For its inaugural forum, the California-Shanghai Innovation Dialogue gathered high-level business, political and academic leaders from California and Shanghai for influential conversations on topics crucial to the development of both regions. Participants explored growth opportunities in light of each region’s innovation ecosystem alongside their distinct – and parallel – challenges.

"Hukou Reform and Rural Dispossession in China"
Speaker: Joel Andreas, associate professor of sociology, Johns Hopkins University
Jan. 20, 2015
Joel Andreas will reexamine the evolution of the hukou system, focusing on access to rural land and considering the implications for the rural population of the current shift from hukou-based to market-based land rights. Cosponsored with the 21st Century China Program.

“The Rule of Law in China: Prospects and Challenges”
Speakers: Wang Zhiqiang, Fudan University Law School; Susan Shirk, GPS; and Benjamin van Rooij, UC Irvine
Jan. 14, 2015
The resolution that emerged from last October's Fourth Plenary session of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee promised aggressive and far-reaching legal reforms. But are these realistic?

“How High Is Too High? Investment Share and the Chinese Economy”
Nov. 18, 2014
Speaker: Zhang Jun, Fudan University with Barry Naughton, GPS
Leading economist Dr. Zhang Jun explained why China’s investment share is most likely to be over estimated by the China National Bureau of Statistics.

“Religion in China Today: Challenge and Hope”
Nov. 3, 2014
Speaker: Zhuo Xinping, Institute of World Religions director, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
Religion in China now stands at a critical juncture. Zhuo, an expert on the subject, offered his observations on these and other recent developments.

Conference on Religion in China Today: Resurgence and Challenge
Nov. 3, 2014
Over the past three decades, there has been a remarkable resurgence of religious belief and practice in China. This has taken many forms, from the revival and transformation of folk religion, the reinvigoration of Christianity, Buddhism and Islam, and even the creation of new religious movements. These developments present new challenges to the Chinese state and have led to global controversies over the government’s handling of these challenges. This conference brought together distinguished Chinese and American scholars for a dialogue about the causes and political consequences of these developments.

"End of the Chinese Economic Miracle?"
Oct. 23, 2014
Inaugural China Focus Oxford-style debate: The house believes the Chinese economy will collapse in five years. Barry Naughton and Victor Shih will lead teams of student debaters.

China Town Hall: Issues in U.S.-China Relations
Oct. 16, 2014
National Speaker: President Jimmy Carter (by webcast)
Local speaker: Lyle Morris, project associate, RAND Corporation with Susan Shirk, 21st Century China Program chair
The program opened with a webcast featuring President Jimmy Carter discussing 35 years of U.S.-China relations in conversation with National Committee President Steve Orlins.

Spotlight on Hong Kong
Oct. 9, 2014
Speakers: Susan Shirk, Richard Madsen and Victor Shih, GPS
As the momentous situation in Hong Kong continues to unfold, our panel of experts held an informal discussion on the core issues affecting Hong Kong-Mainland China relations.

“Politics of Stability Maintenance in China”
Aug. 21 - 22, 2014 | UC San Diego
The 21st Century China Program brought leading sociologists and political scientists from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the U.S. for a workshop on the politics of stability maintenance in China. Each participant presented their latest original research at the workshop, the outcome of which will be edited into a volume to be published by an academic press. Cosponsored with Fudan-UC Center on Contemporary China. Closed to the public.

Social Power in China: Fudan-UC Young Scholars Workshop
May 19 - 20, 2014 | UC San Diego
This academic conference provided a platform for young scholars from China’s Fudan University and the 10 University of California campuses to present their current research on contemporary Chinese society, politics and economy, exchange ideas and network with each other. Conferences like this provide great opportunity to build new synergies among the 10 UC campuses as well as develop fruitful collaborations with Fudan scholars. Closed to the public.

International Conference on "The Legacy of Sent-down Youth in Contemporary China"
April 27 - April 29, 2014 | UC Santa Cruz
This conference aimed to explore the contemporary legacies of the sent-down youth movement that accompanied the Cultural Revolution, during which approximately 15 million urban youth were sent to live on state farms and in rural villages for up to ten years. It is co-sponsored/organized/facilitated by the Institute of Humanities Research, UC Santa Cruz. Download the agenda.

“When Disruptive Innovation Fails to Disrupt”
April 18, 2014
Speaker: Eric Thun, Lecturer in Chinese Business Studies, University of Oxford
The focus of this talk was on how the availability of successive segments of a quality ladder within the domestic market for a product shapes the development of firm capabilities over time, and how this segmentation is shaped by state policy.

"Choke Point: China, Water-Energy-Food Confrontations in the World's Fastest-Growing Economy"
April 17, 2014
Speaker: Jennifer Turner, China Environment Forum Director, Woodrow Wilson Center
Turner discussed the major water-energy-food nexus trends in China and her work on engaging Chinese policy, research, business and NGOs to address natural-resource choke points.

"Sex, Money & Death: Yan Lianke on Literary Creativity and Censorship"
April 8, 2014
Speaker: Yan Lianke, renowned Chinese novelist short listed for the 2013 Man Booker International Prize
Yan Lianke is one of China’s most distinguished — and most controversial — writers. His work often pushes the envelope of the official censorship system, and three of his novels are now available in English translations.

"Political Effects of Rumors and Rumor Rebuttals in China"
March 12, 2014
Speaker: Haifeng Huang, Assistant Professor of Political Science at UC Merced
Haifeng Huang obtained his Ph.D. from Duke University and was a postdoctoral fellow in formal theory and quantitative methods at Princeton University before joining UC Merced.

"China-Japan Relations and the Role of the U.S."
March 7, 2014 | Conference Report | Agenda and Speaker Bios| Slideshow
This conference brought together 14 experts from China, Japan and the United States. They discussed the history and current state of China-Japan relations and the role of the U.S. in light of the political and economic changes in both countries, against the background of maritime dispute and rising nationalism in Japan and China.

"Suing Polluters in China"
Feb. 10, 2014
Speaker: Rachel E. Stern, UC Berkeley
In a country known for tight political control and ineffectual courts, this talk explored how environmental litigation works: how judges make decisions, why lawyers take cases and how plaintiffs win allies.

"Wu Jinglian: Voice of Reform in China"
Jan. 25, 2014
Speaker: GPS Professor Barry Naughton and Wu Jinglian, senior researcher for the China State Council Development Research Center
Professor Barry Naughton and famed Chinese economist Wu Jinglian spoke about their just-released book "Wu Jinglian: Voice of Reform in China" as well as China’s reform.

"Navigating the Next Round of Reform in China"
Jan. 23, 2014
Panelists: Professors Barry NAUGHTON, Victor SHIH and Susan SHIRK, UC San Diego; and WU Jinglian, Senior Researcher, China State Council Development Research Center
This event was a panel discussion by distinguished experts on the future of China’s reform after the Third Plenum of the 18th CCP Congress in November 2013.

"Power and its Use in Chinese Foreign Policy"
Jan. 22, 2014
Speaker: CHEN Zhimin, Dean of School of International Relations and Public Administration, Fudan University
Dean CHEN Zhimin delivered a talk to Professor Miles Kahler's class "International Relations of the Asia Pacific."

"Is China the Next Mexico?"
Jan. 16, 2014
Speaker: Jorge Guajardo, former Mexico ambassador to China
Guajardo's public keynote address was part of a larger two-day conference called "Growth, Trade, Investment and the Future of Manufacturing in China, Mexico and the U.S." This conference was held at UC San Diego on Thursday, Jan. 16. Click here for Agenda and Speaker Biographies.

"Globalization, Bureaucrats and Local Industrial Upgrading in China"
Jan. 9, 2014
Speaker: Ling Chen, Shorenstein Postdoctoral Fellow, Stanford University
How does the penetration of global capital affect domestic policies and development outcomes in China? Drawing on her current book manuscript, "Manipulating Globalization: Bureaucrats, Businesses and Policy Implementation in China," Dr. Ling Chen examined China’s campaign of industrial upgrading over the past two decades.

Monday, December 2, 2013 | Audio
Speaker: Dr. Dingxin Zhao, Department of Sociology, University of Chicago

"China's Prospect for Growth and RMB Internationalization"
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Speakers: Weisen LI, Fudan University and YU Yongding, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

"Chinese Science and Technology: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives"
October 18, 2013
Speakers: Dr. Tai Ming Cheung, Dr. Benjamin Elman, Dr. Peter Suttmeier, and Dr. Ezra Vogel

"Chinese Globalization: Characteristics, Trends, and Impacts"
October 17, 2013
Speaker: Dr. SUN Jiaming, Professor of Sociology, School of Social Development and Public Policy, Fudan University

"Culture, Communication, and China's National Image"
May 28, 2013
Panelists: Jian MENG, Na CHEN, Zengyu PEI, Fudan University

"The China-North Korea Relationship in Perspective"
May 9, 2013
Panelists: SHEN Dingli, Fudan University; Stephan HAGGARD, UC San Diego; and Robert ROSS, Boston College

"How would the Chinese Government Respond to Another Tiananmen-style Protest?"
May 2, 2013
Speaker: Yang SU, Associate Professor of Sociology, UC Irvine

"Underground Activism: Migrant Workers Organizing in China"
April 22, 2013
Speaker: Diana FU, Shorenstein Postdoctoral Fellow, Stanford University

"After the "Air-Pocalypse" what is Happening with China’s Environmental Policies?"
April 15, 2013
Speaker: Deborah SELIGSOHN, Environmental Policy Analyst

"Toward a More Harmonious World: The Place of Humanities and Social Sciences Eduction in China" [Audio]
April 4, 2013
Speaker: YANG Yu-liang, President of Fudan University, Shanghai

"China's Domestic Challenges Conference"
March 25, 2013
A day-long conference that brought together scholars from throughout the University of California system and from Fudan University to discuss China’s contemporary domestic challenges.

"China's Growing Population: Current Trends and Future Challenges"
March 25, 2013
Speaker: PENG Xizhe, of Fudan University, Shanghai, reviewed recent population dynamics in China, discussed existing and potential challenges related to population growth, and explored possible strategies and policy measures dealing with China’s sustainable development.

UC San Diego Reception at the AAS Annual Meeting
March 22, 2013 

"China's New Urban Poor and its Consciousness"
February 4, 2013 
Speaker: Dorothy Solinger, Professor of Political Science, UC Irvine

"Can China Sustain its Growth? China's Economic Challenges in the Next Ten Years"
January 7, 2013
Three distinguished Chinese economists from both Fudan and Tsinghua Universities shared their analysis of the economic challenges that China will face in the next decade. Panel: Bai Chong’En, Tsinghua University, Yuan Zhigang, Fudan University, and Hua Miin, Fudan University

"U.S.-China Relations after U.S. Election and the 18th CCP Congress"
December 3, 2012
All-day symposium with three panels including Fudan and UC scholars

"China's Leadership Transition: Implications for China's Domestic Development and External Relations" [Video]
November 1, 2012
Three well-known China scholars provided insight into the upcoming 18th Party Congress in China, and analyzed implications of the leadership transition for China's domestic development and external relations at the panel talk. 

Panelists (click on name to watch individual video):
Alice Miller, Research Fellow, The Hoover Institution, Stanford University
Susan Shirk, Chair of 21st Century China Program, and Ho Miu Lam Professor of China and Pacific Relations, GPS, UC San Diego
Minxin Pei, Tom and Margot Pritzker '72 Professor of Government, Claremont McKenna College