Palo Alto, January 13, 2019 – Schwarzman Scholars, in partnership with the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSCR), this week hosted an alumni seminar in Palo Alto focused on leadership and technology in Silicon Valley.
The agenda of lectures, site visits and case studies was created to provide context and insight on the role that Silicon Valley plays in the U.S.-China relationship. The seminar included visits to tech companies that are engaged in cross-border operations and meetings with experts and innovators from a variety of companies and industries in Silicon Valley.
Speakers and panels comprised of top technology leaders including Yahoo’s Jerry Yang, GGV Capital’s Hans Tung, Founding Director of MIT’s Policy Research Initiative, Daniel Weitzner, EY’s Nigel Duffy and Jeff Wong, Google’s Kent Walker, Suning’s Jim Cheng, and Silicon Valley historian and Stanford professor, Leslie Berlin, addressed topics including the global expansion of large tech companies, technology’s role in solving global challenges, issues and concerns about cybersecurity and more.
“A priority of the Schwarzman Scholars Alumni mission is to continue to build on the education started at Schwarzman College. Throughout the seminar, we were lucky to hear from leading technology experts who discussed how the issues of ethics and the public good are becoming more central to the development of new technologies. As we focus on the continued training of the world’s future leaders, there are no more important issues” said Director of Development and Alumni Relations, Debby Goldberg.
Established in 2017, the partnership between the National Committee and the Schwarzman Scholars program engages Schwarzman Scholars at all stages, helping further prepare them for leadership roles in the U.S.-China relationship. Through the partnership, current Schwarzman Scholars, recent graduates, and alumni have opportunities to learn from and engage with policymakers, policy influencers, and leading experts in the National Committee’s network.
About Schwarzman Scholars:
Schwarzman Scholars was inspired by the Rhodes Scholarship and is designed to prepare future global leaders to meet the geopolitical challenges of the 21st century. The vision of Schwarzman Scholars is to bring together the world’s best young minds to explore and understand the economic, political and cultural factors that have contributed to China’s increasing importance as a global power, and to make them more effective as links between China and the rest of the world. Blackstone Chairman, CEO and Co-Founder, Stephen A. Schwarzman, has personally contributed over $100 million to the program and is leading a fundraising campaign to raise an additional $500 million from others to endow the program in perpetuity. Schwarzman Scholars has already raised $578 million towards this $600 million goal. The endowment will support up to 200 Scholars annually from the U.S., China and around the world in earning a one-year Master’s degree in Global Affairs at Tsinghua University in Beijing. Scholars chosen for this highly selective program have demonstrated exemplary leadership qualities and the potential to bridge and understand cultural and political differences. They live in Beijing for a year of study and cultural immersion, attending lectures, traveling, and developing a better understanding of China.
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