Harvard Hosts China Goes Global Conference

Cambridge, Mass., – September 30, 2009 – Today the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University launches the three-day conference China Goes Global. Convening academics, business leaders, and public officials from around the world, the conference will explore the increasingly global presence of Chinese firms and the resulting social, political, and economic influences of such globalization.

As the world’s most populous nation, China is home to the second largest economy in terms of purchasing power and the third largest trading industry. China is the fifth largest exporter in the world and its firms are quickly becoming household names around the globe. The country’s rise to economic and political power coincides with its growing participation in world affairs; the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the upcoming 2010 world expo provide the world an unprecedented view into this formerly isolated country’s people, history, and affairs.
Through a series of academic paper presentations and panel discussions, conference attendees will investigate how Chinese firms internationalize and the resulting impact of such internationalization around the world, especially in the United States and Europe. Sessions will assess data on Chinese internationalization and provide recommendations to policy makers, business executives, and researchers. Speaker topics include:

• Western political and economic models that explain China’s current trajectory;
• How China’s globalization will affect the business environment in developed and emerging countries;
• The globalization of Chinese higher education;
• Factors associated with China’s emerging global economic prowess; and
• China’s possible role in a globalized world after the financial crisis.

“China’s rise to economic and political power over this century – renamed by many as ‘the Chinese Century’ – has been nothing less than historic,” said Tony Saich, director of the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation, Harvard Kennedy School. “We are pleased to bring together a host of prestigious academics and practitioners to address the nature of China’s internalization and its resulting impact on the world’s stage.”
China Goes Global is co-sponsored by the Ash Institute, Harvard Kennedy School; the Center for International Business Education and Research, Georgia Institute of Technology; the Crummer Graduate School of Business and Rollins China Center, Rollins College; and the University of Potsdam, Germany.

About the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation

The Roy and Lila Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation advances excellence in governance and strengthens democratic institutions worldwide. Through its research, education, international programs, and government innovations awards, the Institute fosters creative and effective government problem solving and serves as a catalyst for addressing many of the most pressing needs of the world’s citizens. The Ford Foundation is a founding donor of the Institute. Additional information about the Ash Institute is available at www.ashinstitute.harvard.edu.

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