Yenching Academy’s flagship event, The Yenching Global Symposium (YGS), is excited to announce the names of several speakers confirmed to attend the four-day event held on Peking University’s historic campus in Beijing during April 12th through 15th of 2018. Every year, YGS welcomes prominent Chinese and international scholars with a noted passion for China in their work and research, along with leading professionals from a wide range of fields to speak to the young minds who will converge at the symposium.
Kicking off the Symposium at the Belt and Road Keynote address will be Li Shan, CEO of the Silk Road Finance Corporation, whose leadership experience with global financial institutions and major Chinese banks spans more than 20 years.
Speakers on the Arts and Culture panel include Han Yi, a multiple award-winning film producer and former anchor and news reporter for the Sichuan Provincial TV Station and China Central Television; Kaiser Kuo, former director for international communications at Baidu and a Chinese American freelance writer renowned for the Sinica Podcast; Alec Ash, a British writer and editor residing in Beijing and the author of the new book “Wish Lanterns: Young Lives in New China”; and Daniel A. Bell, the Dean of Political Science and Public Administration at Shandong University and professor at Tsinghua University.
Speakers on the Women panel include Ching Tien, the founder and President of Educating Girls of Rural China; Virginia Tan, the founder and President of Lean In China; and Julie Broussard, the outgoing China Programme Director for UN Women.
Discussing topics in technology include Andrea Zorzetto, a Digital Policy advisor and former civil servant for the UK government, and Danit Gal, a Yenching Scholar and International Strategic Advisor to the iCenter at Tsinghua University.
Dialoguing on the Economy panel are Hannah Ryder, a former head of policy and partnerships for the United Nations Development Programme in China, and Alicia Giron, the former President of the International Association for Feminist Economics and a member of the High-Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment of the United Nations. Wrapping up this impressive lineup of thought leaders and experts at the Symposium’s Closing Keynote address will be Cindy Mi, the founder and CEO of VIPKID- an education technology company.
This year’s Symposium not only includes professional panels, hands-on activities, and cultural workshops, but also site visits, cultural immersion programming, and an inaugural concert featuring local Chinese artists.
