The inaugural U.S.-China Symposium at Drake University will take place on November 17, 2022, at the Olmsted Center on Drake University’s campus. This event is free and open to the public.
About the Symposium
The symposium is an initiative of the Ambassador-in-Residence program at Drake. Terry Branstad, former U.S. Ambassador to China and Governor of Iowa, is currently serving as the Ambassador-in-Residence. The Ambassador will host an annual symposium to convene experienced professionals, academics, and other experts to speak on various topics related to China and U.S.-China relations, with the aim to provide a platform for multiple viewpoints and opportunities for candid discussion.
Learn more and register for the symposium at drake.edu/branstad
Featured Sessions
John Pomfret, an award-winning journalist and author of The Beautiful Country and the Middle Kingdom: America and China, 1776 to the Present. Pomfret will deliver a lecture on the history of the relationship between the United States and China, and what we can expect from U.S.-China relations after the 20th Party Congress. Pomfret was a foreign correspondent for twenty years, spending seven years covering China – in the late 1980s during the Tiananmen Square protests, then from 1997 until the end of 2003 as the bureau chief for The Washington Post in Beijing.
Jonathan Fritz, Former Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, will join Ambassador Branstad and Steve Churchill for an armchair conversation about current topics in U.S.-China foreign affairs. Fritz has been the Chief of Staff to Jose Fernandez, the Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment in the U.S. State Department since August 2021. Previously, he served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs responsible for China, Mongolia, and Taiwan.
Fritz will also hold a session on Careers in Diplomacy for students Nov. 17th at 4:30 pm for International Education Week.
U.S.-China Educational Exchange: Past, Present, Future
A panel discussion moderated by Min Fan, Executive Director of the U.S. Heartland China Association. Min was born in China and studied at Peking University. Her professional experience spans the corporate world, non-profit sector, and startup ecosystem. This includes leading the Ideation and Innovation Practice at Hewlett Packard Global Corporate Services; serving as the Executive Director and COO of the U.S. China Innovation Alliance; and launching U.S. China Now.
This panel will feature the expertise of Dr. Yawei Liu, Senior Advisor at the Carter Center; Dr. Mary Gallagher, Director of the International Institute at the University of Michigan; Daniel Palm, Associate Vice President for International Affairs at the University of Arizona; Samantha McCabe, International Student Services Director at the University of Wisconsin; Raven Witherspoon, Schwarzman Scholar; and Joel Glassman, Director for the Center for International Studies in the University of Missouri.
The U.S. and China: Can a Cold War Be Averted?
A panel discussion exploring the rising geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and China, moderated by Drake Professor David Skidmore. This panel will feature the expertise of Dr. John Owen, Professor of Politics at the University of Virginia; Yun Sun, Senior Fellow and Co-Director of the East Asia Program and Director of the China Program at the Stimson Center; and Dr. Zhu Feng, Executive Director of China Center for Collaborative Studies of the South China Sea at Nanjing University.
View the full program and register at drake.edu/branstad.
— Hannah Sappenfield, Global Engagement
