| FW | |||||||||||||||||
| by Wade Shepard | |||||||||||||||||
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China is undergoing an amazing transition. A largely bankrupt planned economy and inefficient bureaucracy is slowly being reformed in order to address China�s changing needs. Just this year, huge government reforms have been announced, and it will likely speed up the transformation of China. Grass- roots elections for village representatives at the lowest government level, though probably begun to vent frustration of the people, is one the best signs that China is truly becoming more democratic. At the same time, millions of urban workers will lose their jobs as the government breaks what was once called the �iron rice bowl.� The potential for unrest should be tempered by the government�s expanding efforts to retrain workers for private sector jobs. This is most significant as it shows the government taking responsibility for the predicament of the workers, while still facing up to its need to reform or shut down failing state owned enterprises. About 150 million workers are employed these by state factories, and most of these enterprises are losing money. Since the state can no longer bear this burden, it has to find a balance between fiscal responsibility and potential worker unrest. For those who are aware of the chaos that ensued during the many social experiments under Chairman Mao (1949-1976), even thinking of trying to achieve this sort balance comes as a new way of governing. The revolution is no longer socialist, but increasingly, it is a humanist one. This is an exciting time for students to come and witness first-hand what many call China�s second revolution. The Friends World program has also been undergoing a transformation. Last fall saw an unprecedented number of arriving students, which put a strain on the staff and resources of the Hangzhou Center. A lot of effort has been put into strengthening the program and we are confident that this fall will be a great year for the Center. There are plans afoot to upgrade the facilities, which already has what is arguably the best English language library devoted to China in all of Hangzhou (more impressive than it sounds). We are also hoping to continue our group trips to Yunnan province, which seemed to go very well this year. As I write, most of the students are still traveling and studying independently in China�s southwest, and they plan a trip to Xinjiang province in the coming weeks. Prior to moving to Shanghai, I studied Chinese at Kenyon College and Nanjing University, and finally at the University of Michigan. By entering a broader- based Chinese Studies program, I was able to include Chinese Literature, Philosophy, Classical Chinese and History in my study plan. I think that this makes me very partial to Friends World, as I had to create my own major (Synoptic: Chinese Area Studies) and devise three semesters of ISPs in order to graduate with a multi-disciplinary degree. An extension of my education experience is my two current jobs. When not in Hangzhou teaching Chinese Studies, I work in Shanghai as the China Manager of the William Davidson Institute, supporting and developing summer internship programs for the University of Michigan Business School. The institute�s mandate is to research and promote the transformation of transitional economies (from centrally planned to market). This gives me excellent access to a broad network of schools, government and non-government organizations, and businesses. I hope that next fall�s students will take a look at Shanghai, which is a very dynamic city, and make use of my contacts throughout China. I will be planning the field trip to Shanghai, and will also make a few visits to Hangzhou and teach a Chinese Studies seminar. Students who need advising will have several other choices in Hangzhou, but I will be happy to work with any students who are interested. Anyone thinking of coming to Hanghzou this fall should feel free to get in touch with me here in Shanghai, either via fax (from US, 011 86-21 6274-7488) or email ([email protected]). I will be happy to answer any questions that you might have. | |||||||||||||||||
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