Brilliantly designed syllabus; the final student papers, beyond the live debates, will be enlightening. As a journalist and business communicator who lived in Hong Kong (Richard Boucher became a frequent acquaintance), criss-crossing China many times over 14 years, and handling Jiang Zemin's visit to Boeing in 1993, I wholeheartedly concur there's more to gain from dialogue and discussion than confrontation. Young American scholars should study China's social sciences and humanities as they should ours -- with the cautions you cited. I believe, well knowing of what Xi Jinping is doing ideologically and militarily, that China doesn't want to come out on top as much as alongside. I hope I'm right and that Secretary Blinken's trip, now underway, is as fruitful as your well-timed visit.
Thank you for this report and looking forward to the next ones on China. These international student programs are indeed transformative. Not only do they enlighten students about their host countries but they shape students' thinking about their *own* countries and foreign policies as seen from abroad.
I wholeheartedly agree, but, then, as one who wrote about the Dartmouth Conference and worked on the Forum for US-Soviet Dialogue, I would, wouldn’t I? I would just add that academia has long been biased against area studies. We would be better off if those who, like you, seek to understand particular polities were more strongly encouraged.
Brilliantly designed syllabus; the final student papers, beyond the live debates, will be enlightening. As a journalist and business communicator who lived in Hong Kong (Richard Boucher became a frequent acquaintance), criss-crossing China many times over 14 years, and handling Jiang Zemin's visit to Boeing in 1993, I wholeheartedly concur there's more to gain from dialogue and discussion than confrontation. Young American scholars should study China's social sciences and humanities as they should ours -- with the cautions you cited. I believe, well knowing of what Xi Jinping is doing ideologically and militarily, that China doesn't want to come out on top as much as alongside. I hope I'm right and that Secretary Blinken's trip, now underway, is as fruitful as your well-timed visit.
Thank you for this report and looking forward to the next ones on China. These international student programs are indeed transformative. Not only do they enlighten students about their host countries but they shape students' thinking about their *own* countries and foreign policies as seen from abroad.
Thanks, Michael, for your never-ending work. Always enjoy your reports. Stay safe!
Dwight Russell
Stanford - BA Political Science '54, MBA '57.
I wholeheartedly agree, but, then, as one who wrote about the Dartmouth Conference and worked on the Forum for US-Soviet Dialogue, I would, wouldn’t I? I would just add that academia has long been biased against area studies. We would be better off if those who, like you, seek to understand particular polities were more strongly encouraged.
This was very interesting! Thank you for posting it.