University Leaders Travel to China for Fortune Global Forum

The university is the sole education partner for the three-day gathering.

June 3, 2013

2013 Fortune Global Forum

The George Washington University will send a delegation to Chengdu, China, this week for the 2013 Fortune Global Forum, a three-day, invitation-only gathering for CEOs and world leaders to engage in dialogue on trends in China and the future of global business.

As the sole education partner for the forum, the university will provide access to faculty expertise. The GW leaders traveling to China are: President Steven Knapp, Provost Steven Lerman, Vice President for Research Leo Chalupa, Vice President for China Operations and School of Business Dean Doug Guthrie, Vice President of Human Resources Sabrina Ellis, Elliott School of International Affairs Dean Michael E. Brown, School of Medicine and Health Sciences Dean Jeffrey S. Akman and Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations Mike Morsberger.

Before the start of the Fortune Global Forum, Drs. Knapp, Lerman, Guthrie and Brown will participate in a discussion, sponsored by the Nordic International Management Institute, on the role of higher education in society, U.S.-China relations and opportunities for universities to have an impact on China. Several Chinese officials will also participate.

At the forum, Dr. Guthrie, who is fluent in Mandarin, will moderate a panel on Saturday on the widening wealth gap, social needs and the state of charities and philanthropic sector in China.  Panelists include Rupert Hoogewerf, publisher of the Hurun Report and Hurun Philanthropy List; Yao Ming, athlete, entrepreneur and philanthropist; and Wang Zhenyao, dean of the China Philanthropy Research Institute at Beijing Normal University.

Beginning June 18, members of the GW community can view footage of the forum by registering here.

Leading up to the forum, GW hosted former U.S. Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson in April for a preview to the three-day event and to announce its role. In a conversation with Fortune Magazine Managing Editor Andrew Serwer, Mr. Paulson outlined China’s environmental and political goals, and the country’s ongoing relations with the U.S.

Later that month, Drs. Akman and Chalupa attended a reception and dinner hosted by Cui Tiankai, the new Chinese ambassador to the U.S., at the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in D.C. The reception brought together a distinguished group of multinational business leaders and selected experts for dinner and conversation during a time of transition for China and the global economy.

Also in April, the university opened its Confucius Institute—the first to be established in Washington, D.C. The institute promotes the study of Chinese language and culture, supports Chinese teaching through instructional training and certification and enables prosperous growth of research on China studies. One of the institute’s goals is to offer Chinese language and cultural classes to the District community.

Last week, Dr. Knapp was named to the Council of the Confucius Institute Headquarters, the governing body of Confucius Institutes worldwide. One of 10 council members selected from more than 400 host institutions around the world, Dr. Knapp will begin his two-year term in December.

GW’s role in the forum adds to the extensive presence the university maintains in China. GW has forged many partnerships with Chinese universities, including Renmin University in Beijing and Fudan University in Shanghai. In 2012, GW launched a new partnership with Suzhou Industrial Park in Jiangsu, China, to offer advanced degrees to Chinese students. Moreover, hundreds of alumni live in China, and more than 1,200 Chinese students studied at GW during the 2012-13 year.