SPPM  February-­‐March  Newsletter  

Tsinghua-Brookings Center Think Tank Ranks First in China In the “2011 Global Go to Think Tanks Report” released by Think Tanks and Civil

Societies Program at the University of Pennsylvania on January 8, the think tank affiliated with Brookings-Tsinghua Center for Public Policy has been ranked first among all think tanks in China and fourteenth overall in the world.

Brookings-Tsinghua Center for Public Policy was co-founded by Tsinghua University and the Brookings Institution. The center was established in 2006 and is located at the School of Public Policy and Management, Tsinghua University.

The center is committed to create China’s first-class think tank that provides independent, high-quality, and influential policy research in an array of research fields which relates to China's socio-economic transition and the importance of maintaining good Sino-US relationship. So far, the center has successfully organized many large-scale conferences, public lectures, internal discussions, and other academic activities & research projects in a wide range of research fields.

The Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program at the University of Pennsylvania was established in 1989 and has since become the “ultimate think tank” aimed at analyzing public policy organizations and their increasingly important roles in today’s society. Currently, the program holds the world's largest volume of think tank data.

The 2011 “Global Go to Think Tanks Report” was published based on surveys of nearly 1500 scholars, policy makers, journalists, and experts from various regions and targeted areas; this report was the fifth annual report released. 6545 think tanks around the world were invited to participate in the nomination process; ranking factors include the ability to enhance communication between academia and policy-making groups, and the ability to raise new voice in government’s decision-making process.

From SPPM Website; Translated by Jason Liu, MID 2010

UN’s Director of the Division for Public Administration & Development Management Visits Our School

 On March 27, Madam Qian Haiyan, Director of the Division for Public Administration &

Development Management of Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations (DPADM/UNDESA), visited our school at the invitation of Dean Xue Lan. Madam Qian gave two passionate lectures for both MID & IMPA students and the MPA-E class. In the lectures, she briefed our students on the structure and function of UN; then, she gave them a rare peek into the duties and responsibilities of her division-DPADM.

Madam Qian received her Master Degree in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School. She has dedicated herself to the field of public policy and governance for 28 years. Before taking the current post, she served as the Chief of the Knowledge Management Branch, DPADM/UNDESA and Chief Manager of the United Nations Public Administration Network.  

MID Research Team Arrives in Tangshan Bay International Eco-city

Early on the cold morning of February 20th the six member MID team set out east on the second phase of their internship with Tangshan Bay International Eco-city. The internship is part of a promising new cooperation between SPPM and the Eco-city that will enhance the student learning while offering valuable research assistance to the city.

Tangshan Bay International Eco-city is located inside Caofeidian New Area, an area created to accommodate the heavy industry relocated from Beijing in the run-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Additionally a new port was built and heavy industries from Tangshan city also moved into the area.

Caofeidian is split into 4 parts; the Industrial zone in the south, the Eco-city to the east, Tanghai town in the north and another smaller industrial area to the west of Tanghai.

The eco-city is being constructed in part to serve as an environmentally friendly city for the workers and engineers from the nearby industrial area, as well as representing an overall move in China towards more sustainable cities. The MID team will be focusing on the current planning needs of the Eco-City and research international examples from which the city can benefit. In particular, the team is assisting the eco-city develop their Green Transportation Plan, Marina Development Plan and map out different R&D industries that can serve as a growth engine for the city.

The first residential area, rated two starts by the National Green Building Standard, has been completed and many other properties are under development. Although construction is

underway at many sites, the large size of the zone means that most of the area is still undeveloped thus offering continued opportunities for innovative design and planning over the coming years. Hopefully the MID team will be able to contribute to making the city a truly sustainable coastal city with a thriving green economy.

Contributed by Gavin Lohry, MID 2010

International Students Visit Tsinghua Science Park

On March 6, ten international students from both the MID and IMPA class visited Tsinghua University Science Park. Mr. Chen Hongbo, the Vice President of TusPark Company Limited, hosted a warm reception and gave a brief introduction on Chinese science parks’ historical background and development. Mr. Chen presented a vivid picture of Tsinghua University Science Park; he introduced the core elements of the park and its roles in contributing to the regional and national economic development. Students listened in carefully on the introduction given by Mr. Chen and raised a number of questions that are related to their individual interests.

Tsinghua Science Park was founded in 1993 and has become the world's largest university science and technology park; its foremost objective is to actively promote social service. The science park functions as an incubator, a high-tech corporation developer, a training base for talents, and a platform to turn research projects into commercial products. The visit enriched our student's field experience and shed light on inner workings of a science park.

Contributed by Jason Liu, MID 2010

Afghan Ambassador Engages Students at Debating Society Event

On Monday, March 5th, responding to an invitation by the recently founded Debating Society, His Excellency Mr. Sultan Ahmad Baheen, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to the People’s Republic of China, joined Tsinghua students for a roundtable session titled “Afghanistan: Challenges Ahead.”

The event was hosted by Dean Xue Lan, Assistant Dean Meng Bo, and Professor Zhou Yuan, with the latter delivering the opening remarks. As the Debating Society’s sponsor, Prof. Zhou eloquently welcomed the Ambassador and expressed his support for both the event and the Society’s mission, to foster open dialogue and allow students to hone their public speaking and argumentative skills, while tackling today’s pressing issues.

HE Mr. Baheen then began his concise, yet comprehensive presentation with a brief overview of Afghan history, which has been the object of foreign invasions since the times of Alexander the Great. The Mongols, the British, the Soviet Union, Al Qaeda, and finally NATO have all tried to control Afghanistan in one way or another, but lacking strategies to administer the country, they ultimately all failed.

According to the Ambassador, the current situation can be explained by the vacuum of power left in the country after the end of the Cold War; as the Soviets withdrew, the West felt comfortable neglecting their former allies in the country, resulting in factional fighting and eventually civil war. During that struggle, the Taliban emerged as the dominant power and eventually Al Qaeda inched its way in, using Afghanistan as a base to launch terrorist strikes around the world, including that of 9/11.

Following the American-led invasion though, the new Afghan government has slowly but surely begun to rebuild the country. While much work remains to be done, the country’s new constitution addresses gender equality and human rights, while stressing a commitment to building democratic institutions. Strengthening those institutions was cited as one of two major challenges facing the current government; if the quality of life of Afghans could be improved, people would certainly reject terrorism, insurgencies, or other illicit activities.  

The other key challenge identified was the scourge of drugs. Ambassador Baheen was quick to note that most of poppy cultivation and heroin processing was taking place in areas beyond the government’s reach. More specifically, it was taking place in the areas controlled by the Taliban, which was using proceeds from the drug trade to fund its uprising.

As the event came to an end, Dean Xue Lan issued brief closing remarks, thanking Ambassador Baheen for honoring us with his presence and so generously dedicating his time to sharing the intricacies of his country’s situation with the students. The Afghan and Tsinghua delegations then warmly exchanged gifts, and a beautiful Afghan lapis lazuli clock will certainly commemorate the event for a long time to come.

The Debating Society was founded last semester as a joint effort between students from the School of Public Policy and Management and their counterparts from the Department of International Relations, and this has been their highest profile event yet. It should be a fitting prelude to the first actual debate organized by the Society, between the MID and IR Debating Teams, scheduled for the week of March 19-25.

Contributed by Stephan  Mothe, MID 2011

Tsinghua SPPM Film Society Initiative Activity

 

On   Friday,  March  23,   the  Tsinghua  University   SPPM  Film  Society  held   its   inaugural   event.  

MID,  IMPA  and  MPA  students  gathered  in  SPPM  room  321  to  watch  Rob  Reiner's  1986  American  

classic  "Stand  BY  Me"  on  the  big  screen.  The  film,  dealing  with  the  universal  theme  of  coming  of  

age,  proved  to  be  a  big  hit  among  the  internationally  diverse  group  of  students.  The  viewing  was  

directly   followed   by   conversation   and   film   analysis   in   which   society   members   were   given   a  

platform  to  share  their  thoughts  and  perspectives  on  the  film.  The  lively  dialogue  proved  to  be  an  

excellent   complement   to   the   viewing,   and   for  many   students  was   the   first   time   to   appreciate  

cinema  as  an  art  form  in  this  way.    

 

The  Film  Society  will  meet  

twice  a  month  to  view  and  

discuss  a  wide  variety  of  world  

cinema  with  the  purpose  of  

promoting  both  the  interaction  

among  different  students  and  

the  interchange  of  ideas  

culture  and  knowledge. Contributed by Emerson Miller, MID 2011

Students Pledge to Live a Greener Life

On   March   1,   ten   students   from   the   School   of   Policy   and   Management,   including   eight  

international  students  and  two  Chinese  students,  attended  the  “Youth’s  Pledge  for  Green”  event  

held   at   the   Yuetan  Gymnasium.   The  organizing   committee  prepared  neon-­‐green  bicycles   to   all  

attendees.     The   event   inculcated   our   students   the   four   core   values   of   Beijing:   patriotism,  

innovation,   inclusiveness,   and   virtue.  

During   the   event,   our   students  

pledged   to   live   a   “greener   life”;   then  

they   rode   their   brand-­‐new   bicycles  

back   to   campus.   Chimbili   Jamba   and  

You   Jin   were   interviewed   by   the  

media;   the   two   students  promised   to  

promote   the   notion   of   “low   carbon  

transport”  among  their  peers.    

Contributed by Jason Liu, MID 2010