China Hands

Prof. Simon Koo is the Executive Director of The Beijing Center (TBC). He’s a scholar and academic administrator committed to advancing East-West dialogue and fostering mutual understanding. At TBC, he leads efforts in curriculum design, academic planning, accreditation, faculty development, and global partnerships, supporting TBC’s mission to promote intercultural engagement.

Madelyn Ross is President Emeritus of the US-China Education Trust (USCET) and was one of the first American students in China following normalization, studying at Fudan University in Shanghai in 1979-1980. Before coming to USCET, she was at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) as the Executive Director of SAIS China and Associate Director of China Studies. She did similar work at George Mason University from 2003 to 2015 as Director of China Initiatives ac...

Madelyn Ross is President Emeritus of the US-China Education Trust (USCET) and was one of the first American students in China following normalization, studying at Fudan University in Shanghai in 1979-1980. Before coming to USCET, she was at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) as the Executive Director of SAIS China and Associate Director of China Studies. She did similar work at George Mason University from 2003 to 2015 as Director of China Initiatives ac...

Geoffrey (Geoff) Newman is an expert in business development in the aerospace industry, linking China, the Asia Pacific, and the United States. During his studies as the first exchange student from Columbia University at Peking University in 1980, he conducted research in collaboration with the daughter of one of the first Chinese students at Columbia University on the life of her father. Afterwards working as one of the few Americans involved in business development and joint ventures...

Geoffrey (Geoff) Newman is an expert in business development in the aerospace industry, linking China, the Asia Pacific, and the United States. During his studies as the first exchange student from Columbia University at Peking University in 1980, he conducted research in collaboration with the daughter of one of the first Chinese students at Columbia University on the life of her father. Afterwards working as one of the few Americans involved in business development and joint ventures...

Henry Huiyao Wang is the Founder and President of Center for China and Globalization (CCG), a leading Chinese nongovernmental think tank. Previously, Dr Wang held various Fellowships at leading American institutions like Harvard University and Brooking Institution and Adjunct Professorships at leading Chinese universities like Peking and Tsinghua University. The 2020 Global Go To Think Tank Index by the University of Pennsylvania ranks CCG 64th of the top think tanks worldwide and among the ...

Henry Huiyao Wang is the Founder and President of Center for China and Globalization (CCG), a leading Chinese nongovernmental think tank. Previously, Dr Wang held various Fellowships at leading American institutions like Harvard University and Brooking Institution and Adjunct Professorships at leading Chinese universities like Peking and Tsinghua University. The 2020 Global Go To Think Tank Index by the University of Pennsylvania ranks CCG 64th of the top think tanks worldwide and among the ...

As one of China's leading experts on Sino-American relations and US Security & Foreign policy, Da Wei is the Director of the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS) at Tsinghua University, where he is also a Professor at the Department of International Relations of the School of Social Sciences. Prof. Da also led one of the first Chinese student delegations to the United States, which he extensively covers on the podcast. Currently, he is also a Visiting Scholar on Ch...

As one of China's leading experts on Sino-American relations and US Security & Foreign policy, Da Wei is the Director of the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS) at Tsinghua University, where he is also a Professor at the Department of International Relations of the School of Social Sciences. Prof. Da also led one of the first Chinese student delegations to the United States, which he extensively covers on the podcast. Currently, he is also a Visiting Scholar on Ch...

Frank Hawke was amongst the first American exchange students to China, after which he had a long and distinguished career in banking, finance, and consultancy in Asia. More recently, he was the previous Director of the China Program for the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. Prior to his exchange with Peking University in 1979, Frank completed his BA in Economics and MA in Political Science at Stanford University and was a PhD candidate in Chinese Politics. After hi...

Frank Hawke was amongst the first American exchange students to China, after which he had a long and distinguished career in banking, finance, and consultancy in Asia. More recently, he was the previous Director of the China Program for the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. Prior to his exchange with Peking University in 1979, Frank completed his BA in Economics and MA in Political Science at Stanford University and was a PhD candidate in Chinese Politics. After hi...

Frank Hawke was amongst the first American exchange students to China, after which he had a long and distinguished career in banking, finance, and consultancy in Asia. More recently, he was the previous Director of the China Program for the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. Prior to his exchange with Peking University in 1979, Frank completed his BA in Economics and MA in Political Science at Stanford University and was a PhD candidate in Chinese Politics. After hi...

Joining us today is Andrew Andreasen, the Resident Director of the Inter-University Program (IUP) for Chinese Language Studies at Tsinghua University and previous Executive Director of the Stanford Center at Peking University. One of the first American exchange students to China, Andrew sailed with the United States Merchant Marine Corps before attending Stanford University for his MA and PhD in Linguistics and East Asia Studies. After completing his PhD in 1980, he worked in various l...

Joining us today is Andrew Andreasen, the Resident Director of the Inter-University Program (IUP) for Chinese Language Studies at Tsinghua University and previous Executive Director of the Stanford Center at Peking University. One of the first American exchange students to China, Andrew sailed with the United States Merchant Marine Corps before attending Stanford University for his MA and PhD in Linguistics and East Asia Studies. After completing his PhD in 1980, he worked in various l...

Ellen Eliasoph is a film executive and producer who has spent the last 25 years building bridges among China's film industry, Hollywood, and the global film market. Ellen is a summa cum laude graduate of Yale College and a graduate of Yale Law School, during the latter being amongst the group of the first Americans to study in China. Before working in the film industry, she utilised her legal studies to play a key role in the building of China’s legal system – some of the forms she cre...

Ellen Eliasoph is a film executive and producer who has spent the last 25 years building bridges among China's film industry, Hollywood, and the global film market. Ellen is a summa cum laude graduate of Yale College and a graduate of Yale Law School, during the latter being amongst the group of the first Americans to study in China. Before working in the film industry, she utilised her legal studies to play a key role in the building of China’s legal system – some of the forms she cre...

Ira Kasoff received his B.A. from Harvard University in 1973 and PhD from Princeton University in 1982. During the latter, he spent a year doing research at Peking University as one of the first American students. From 1985 to 2007, Ira was a diplomat, serving seven assignments in Asia with the U.S. Commercial Service, including in Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Tokyo. He also served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Asia, where he oversaw Asia trade policy, engaged in trade negotiation...

We are proud to present our first interview in Mandarin for this series with 黄道林, the Director of Academic Exchanges at Peking University from 1978 till 1992! Since my Mandarin is not yet at the level needed for such a complex conversation I’ve collaborated with Kevin Wei to host this episode. Kevin is a JD Candidate at Harvard Law School and previously a Schwarzman Scholar at Tsinghua University. My special thanks also to Yipei Lu, who assisted with the editing of this episode. Yipei is ano...

David 'Mike' Lampton is Professor Emeritus and former Hyman Professor and Director of SAIS-China and China Studies at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Previously, he was the President of the National Committee on US-China Relations, Director of the Committee on Scholarly Communication with the PRC (CSCPRC), and headed the China Studies programs at the American Enterprise Institute and The Nixon Center (now The Center for National Interest). He received his BA, MA, a...

David 'Mike' Lampton is Professor Emeritus and former Hyman Professor and Director of SAIS-China and China Studies at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Previously, he was the President of the National Committee on US-China Relations, Director of the Committee on Scholarly Communication with the PRC (CSCPRC), and headed the China Studies programs at the American Enterprise Institute and The Nixon Center (now The Center for National Interest). He received his BA, MA, a...

Mary B. Bullock served as inaugural Vice-Chancellor of Duke Kunshan University, President of Agnes Scott College, Professor at Emory University, and Director of the National Committee on US-China Relations, the Committee on Scholarly Communication with the PRC (CSCPRC), the Asia Program at the Woodrow Wilson Center, and the Henry Luce Foundation. Furthermore, she was part of the Academic Advisory Council of Schwarzman Scholars and Vice Chair of the Asia Society. She received her PhD and MA fr...

Mary B. Bullock served as inaugural Vice-Chancellor of Duke Kunshan University, President of Agnes Scott College, Professor at Emory University, and Director of the National Committee on US-China Relations, the Committee on Scholarly Communication with the PRC (CSCPRC), the Asia Program at the Woodrow Wilson Center, and the Henry Luce Foundation. Furthermore, she was part of the Academic Advisory Council of Schwarzman Scholars and Vice Chair of the Asia Society. She received her PhD and MA fr...

Thomas Fingar is a Shorenstein APARC Fellow in the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University. He was the inaugural Oksenberg-Rohlen Distinguished Fellow from 2010 through 2015 and the Payne Distinguished Lecturer at Stanford in 2009. From 2005 through 2008, he served as the first deputy director of national intelligence for analysis and, concurrently, as chairman of the National Intelligence Council. Fingar served previously as assistant secretary of the State ...

Thomas (Tom) Fingar is a Shorenstein APARC Fellow in the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University. He was the inaugural Oksenberg-Rohlen Distinguished Fellow from 2010 through 2015 and the Payne Distinguished Lecturer at Stanford in 2009. From 2005 through 2008, he served as the first deputy director of national intelligence for analysis and, concurrently, as chairman of the National Intelligence Council. Fingar served previously as assistant secretary of the ...

Thomas B. Gold is a Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley. While at Harvard University, he was among the group of first eight American exchange students in China, spending a year at Fudan University in Shanghai. Priorly, he worked part-time for many years as a Chinese language escort-interpreter for the State Department. From 2000 to 2016, he has also served as Executive Director of the Inter-University Program for Chinese Language Studies (IUP). At UC Berkeley, he ...

Thomas (Tom) B. Gold is a Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley. While at Harvard University, he was among the group of first eight American exchange students in China, spending a year at Fudan University in Shanghai. Priorly, he worked part-time for many years as a Chinese language escort-interpreter for the State Department. From 2000 to 2016, he has also served as Executive Director of the Inter-University Program for Chinese Language Studies (IUP). At UC Berkele...

John Thomson was a career diplomat with the U.S. Foreign Service from 1970 to 1997, serving in Mainland China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Sweden, and Washington D.C. He was a First Secretary of the U.S. Liaison Office in Beijing from June 1978 to February 1979, and Counselor of Embassy 1979-1981 during which he played a key role in normalizing U.S.-China relations. After leaving the Foreign Service, John was Resident Director of the Inter-University Program for Chinese Language Studies at Tsinghua Un...

John Thomson was a career diplomat with the U.S. Foreign Service from 1970 to 1997, serving in Mainland China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Sweden, and Washington D.C. He was a First Secretary of the U.S. Liaison Office in Beijing from June 1978 to February 1979, and Counselor of Embassy 1979-1981 during which he played a key role in normalizing U.S.-China relations. After leaving the Foreign Service, John was Resident Director of the Inter-University Program for Chinese Language Studies at Tsinghua Un...