Understanding China’s Role in the Middle East with Pan Guang

What underlies China’s policies toward the countries of the Middle East? Dr. Pan Guang, vice chairman and professor of political science and history at the Shanghai Center for International Studies of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences (SASS), discussed his views with moderator Jan Berris, National Committee Vice President, and the audience on January 24, 2013 at Jones Day New York.

BIO

Dr. PAN Guang is vice chairman of and professor at the Shanghai Center for International Studies of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences; director of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Studies Center in Shanghai; dean of the Center of Jewish Studies, Shanghai (CJSS); and vice president of the Chinese Association of Middle East Studies. He is an International Council Member of the Asia Society in the United States, senior advisor of the China-Eurasia Forum in the United States, senior advisor on Anti-terror Affairs of the Shanghai Municipality and Ministry of Public Security of the PRC. He obtained the 1993 James Friend Annual Memorial Award for Sino-Jewish Studies, the 1996 Special Award for Canadian Studies (especially for research on Canadian Jews from China), the Saint Peterburg-300 Medal for Contributions to China-Russia Relations awarded by President Putin in 2004 and the Austria Holocaust Memorial Award in 2006. He was appointed by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan as a member of the High-Level Group for the UN Alliance of Civilizations (AoC) in 2005, and appointed as Ambassador of the AoC in 2008.

He has conducted research and given lectures widely in North America, East Asia, Russia, Central Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Australia. He holds a number of prestigious posts in Chinese institutions on international studies, Asian Studies, Middle East Studies and Jewish Studies, and published books and articles on a variety of topics such as The Jews in China, The Jews in Asia: Comparative Perspective, The Jews in Shanghai, The Political and Cultural Impact of the Holocaust , From Silk Road to ASEM: 2000 Years of Asia-Europe Relations, A Comprehensive Studies on Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Contemporary International Crises, China’s Success in the Middle East, China’s Anti-terror Strategy, Islam and Confucianism: the Development of Chinese Islam, China’s Energy Strategy, China’s Policy on Afghanistan and Pakistan, among others.

Professor Pan received his Ph.D. in history from East China Normal University in Shanghai. He has conducted post-doctoral research all over the world, including at Columbia University, Boston University, The Brookings Institution, Stanford University, Leiden University (The Netherlands), and Hebrew University (Jerusalem), among others.

Politics & Foreign Relations

Politics & Foreign Relations

Recorded 1/24/2013