Welcome to China Thinking! In this issue we look behind the scenes of the Ashmolean's renowned Chinese collections, meet the two Chinese scholars in the historic first cohort of students at the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford, and find out how entrepreneurship is empowering women around the world in an interview with Professor Linda Scott. The Oxford Thinking Campaign has just been relaunched with a new target - find out how a new £100 million graduate matched funding scheme will change the landscape of opportunities for international students. We have greatly enjoyed meeting many of you this year in many different alumni events this year. Have a wonderful Christmas and see you in the new year when we will bring even more of Oxford to China!
Cherry Xu has been announced as the Rhodes Scholar for Hong Kong for 2013, part of one of the most prestigious scholarships in the world. The application and selection process, overseen by the Oxford China Office and the Rhodes Selection Committee made up of former Rhodes Scholars, took over two months. Cherry is from Fujian and completed her LLB at Hong Kong University with first class honours, graduating first in her year, and will also finish her PCLL this year. She will pursue a Bachelor in Civil Law at Oxford.Read more
Isis Innovation, Oxford's research and technology commercialization company, has announced a joint venture relating to the commercialization of a new technology which could significantly reduce the cost of vaccine development for cancer and viral infections. The technology was developed by a team from the University's department of oncology and molecular medicine led by Dr Jiang Shisong. The spin-out, Oxford Vacmedix UK has formed a joint venture with investors in Hong Kong, Oxford Vacmedix Hong Kong. Read more
A ground-breaking ceremony was held in the beginning of October for the building which will house the Oxford China Centre. So far £15.5 million out of a necessary £20 million has been raised for the building, which will be completed in 2014. Featuring the new Oxford China Centre library, a 100-person lecture theatre, a dining room with capacity of 200, a language laboratory, a green ecologically efficient roof terrace as well as a Chinese central courtyard and landscaped garden. Read more
Eminent sinologist Rana Mitter will publish a new book, 'China's War with Japan 1937-45: the struggle for survival' which deals with China's unknown role in the second world war. Dr. Mitter, who teaches modern Chinese history and politics at Oxford, is also one of UK's leading radio arts broadcaster, with a recent documentary on BBC Radio 4, 'China's New Iron Rice Bowl' which looked at the Chinese government's housing, education and pension policies. Read more
SPOTLIGHT on
china and the ashmolean
On the occasion of its first ever major exhibition of a living artist, Xu Bing, we take a closer look at the Ashmolean’s impressive Chinese collections.
The Eulogy of Spring, Chen Yuping (b.1947) Purchased by the Ashmolean in 2007.
The Ashmolean is well known for having the world’s greatest collection of Raphael drawings and alumni may well remember its Anglo-Saxon artefacts, but did you know that it also has one of the world’s foremost collections of modern Chinese art in the western world? Its collection of Chinese ceramics, bronzes and jades is also one of the most significant of its kind and it has one of the largest groups of Ming and Qing dynasty porcelain in the world. So how did the world’s first public museum, founded in 1683, come to amass such as impressive Chinese collection? Read more
student encounters
chinese scholars at school of government
Ayo Chan and Liu Haining talk about being part of the historic first cohort of students of the Masters of Policy programme at Oxford's new Blavatnik School of Government
The Blavatnik School of Government was founded by a £75 million endowment by American industrialist and philanthropist Leonard Blavatnik – one of the most generous donations in the University’s 900-year history. In addition, of the 39 students from 17 countries, a third are recipients of full scholarships funded by private donations, including the Dr. Walter Kwok Scholarships for students from Hong Kong and China, which this year was awarded to Ayo Chan and Liu Haining. Read more
This presentation by Dr Ngaire Woods, Dean of the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford is hosted by the University of Hong Kong and will also feature an overview of the Dr Walter Kwok Scholarships to study for the Master of Public Policy degree at the new school of government. Book your place
Featuring the presentation "Transplanting law into a Confucion society: Lost in translation or a working misunderstanding? ' by Mindy Chen-Wishart, Fellow of Law at Merton, followed by a dinner open to Merton alumni and their guests. Read more
5 pm
Social Sciences Chamber, 11/F The Jockey Club Tower, University of Hong Kong
7.00-9.30 pm
HK$500/HK$900 (junior/senior members)
The China Club, Bank Street, Central
Are men or women more likely to suffer from psychological problems? Find out in this fascinating presentation by Professor Daniel Freeman, Professor of Clinical Psychology, Fellow of University College and author of many popular science books including 'Use your head: the inside track on the way we think'. The lecture will be followed by a dinner for University College alumni in Hong Kong. Read more
The Master of St Catherine's College Oxford invites Far East alumni and friends to join him at a drinks reception hosted by alumni Bunt and Susan Gosh (1975). Invitations will be sent by email, make sure your details are updated by. emailing [email protected] or by calling +44 (0) 1865 281596. Read more
6.30-8.30 pm reception and lecture Venue tbc, Hong Kong
6.30 - 8.30 pm
Free admission by advance registration
The China Club, Bank Street, Central
UNDERCOVER ACADEMIC
The Double X Economy
An elaborate network of economic activity is linking women around the world. Dr Linda Scott talks about how her research into the ‘Double X economy’ is empowering women in China and influencing big businesses to get involved.
Give us a flavor of your daily experience as an Oxford academic.
There are no typical daily experiences in my life at Oxford. That’s because the opportunities for me here have created an agenda that varies wildly from week to week, day to day. For instance, in the past three months, I have taught entrepreneurship in China, presented African girls’ education research in Vancouver, appeared on a panel for women’s empowerment in Qatar, attended a high level meeting on women’s access to markets in Mexico City, joined an OECD gender gap meeting in Paris, and conducted an intensive household study among women in rural Bangladesh. Read more
OXFORD THINKING CAMPAIGN UPDATE
NEW GRADUATE MATCHED FUNDING LAUNCHED
Oxford works hard to attract the brightest students regardless of their background. Support from alumni and friends like you has allowed individual colleges and the wider university to provide much-needed funding for scholarships for these students. But there is still a drastic need to increase student support. At the heart of the new target of £3 billion for the Oxford Thinking fund-raising campaign is a matched funding scheme to raise £100 million for graduate full scholarships, with each to be funded 60% from philanthropic donations and 40% by the University. In response to this challenge, a group of University College alumni have donated £10 million with matched funding from the University to endow postgraduate scholarships, which are open to all nationalities, including China. For more information visit www.campaign.ox.ac.uk.
The University of Oxford China Office is a branch office of the University Of Oxford. It works together with volunteer organizations across Greater China and the rest of Asia to foster connections between the collegiate university and the alumni living in the region.
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