| | | | | | Dear $[UD:FIRST_NAME||]$,
We hope you had a good break, and welcome back to the 2025 winter quarter!
A warm welcome to Hannah Waight, assistant professor of sociology at the University of Oregon, as our new non-resident scholar, and to Kristin Shi-Kupfer, professor of contemporary China studies at Trier University, Germany, who will be in residence as a visiting scholar in the winter quarter.
We are excited to announce we've partnered with the Council on Foreign Relations’ China Strategy Initiative (CSI) to institute the Washington China Forum in January. This winter gathering in the nation’s capital will focus on the core questions for America’s strategy toward China. It will complement the UC San Diego Forum on U.S.-China Relations held annually in La Jolla every summer. As the new administration takes office on Jan. 20, we hope this forum will offer a timely platform to deepen the conversation on China and contribute to shaping a well-informed U.S.-China policy.
This quarter, we will host a series of public lectures on U.S.-China relations, technology and society, featuring leading scholars and experts. One highlight is on Feb. 13, when the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s CEO, chief conservation scientist and negotiator will share the story behind the remarkable return of giant pandas to San Diego last summer.
Other events will cover a range of topics, from China’s legal challenges and business environment to e-commerce and cultural heritage. Don’t miss these enriching conversations! Check out the full description of each event here and follow the links below to register. All events are hybrid unless noted.
We continue to collaborate with the Fudan-UC Center to bring cutting-edge research talks to the campus through our China Research Workshop (CRW) series. If you’re an academic interested in the latest China research, contact us to join the CRW mailing list.
With warm regards,
Victor Shih, Director, 21st Century China Center; and
Lei Guang, So Family Executive Director, 21st Century China Center | | | | | | | | | The Future Leaders Summer Program is open for applications
Our unique summer program is tailored to help high school students build problem-solving and diplomacy skills in global affairs, focusing on four interest areas: the climate crisis, energy innovation, artificial intelligence and internet governance. You can find more details here. We’d appreciate it if you could help spread the word. | | | | | | | | Getting Ahead in Today’s China: From Optimism to Pessimism
Thursday, Jan. 16, 5 p.m. PST | Register
Martin Whyte and Scott Rozelle’s latest Chinese surveys reveal a significant shift toward more critical views on inequality and the economy.
America’s Legal Gambit to Curb China’s Technological Rise
Thursday, Jan. 23, 5 p.m. PST | Register
Angela Zhang reveals the complexities and unintended consequences of U.S. legal strategies aimed at curbing China’s technological rise.
Pandas Return to San Diego: Conservation, Diplomacy, and Collaboration
Thursday, Feb. 13, 5 p.m. PST | Register
Learn how the power of collaboration and people-to-people diplomacy that brought giant pandas back to San Diego last June.
The China Business Conundrum: Ensuring “Win-Win” Doesn’t Mean “Lose Twice”
Thursday, Feb. 20, 5 p.m. PST | Register
Ken Wilcox, former CEO of Silicon Valley Bank, shares his experience of navigating the complex, untold realities of doing business in China.
From Click to Boom: The Political Economy of E-Commerce in China
Thursday, Feb. 27, 5 p.m. PST | Register
Lizhi Liu explores how China's e-commerce boom built a $2 trillion market with 800 million users in just two decades.
Chou Wen-chung Distinguished Lecture on Chinese Culture Celebrating the Soundscape of Music and Calligraphy in Chinese Culture (In Person Only)
Friday, March 7, 4 p.m. PST | Register
Art historian Zaixin Hong examines the enduring significance of the soundscape of music and calligraphy. | | | | | | Zaixin Hong is a professor of art history at the University of Puget Sound, specializing in ancient and modern Chinese art. He earned his Ph.D. from China Art Academy and has held research positions at UC Berkeley and Harvard University. His publications include “A History of Chinese Art” and studies on Chinese painting. He is currently working on a new book, “Shaking Hands with the Future.” | | | | Kristin Shi-Kupfer is professor of contemporary China studies at Trier University. She is also a senior associate fellow at MERICS and an expert in contemporary Chinese politics and society, with a focus on digital development, social groups and media policy. She has served as head of the Politics, Society, and Media research area at MERICS and was a China correspondent in Beijing from 2007 to 2011. | | | | Hannah Waight is an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Oregon. She studies information control in authoritarian regimes, especially China, and has developed methods to measure state propaganda. Her research spans topics like social thought, perception and gendered online harassment. She earned her Ph.D. from Princeton University in 2022. | | | | | | | | In the 21st century, two nations will play pivotal roles in shaping a global future: China and the U.S. When you make a tax-exempt gift to the center, you help influence this future as well. Find out how you can support our ongoing work today. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
