Collective Memory, Public History, and Business Ethics

Building Cross-Racial Solidarity in the San Francisco Bay Area and Beyond

The COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed various racism, hate, xenophobia, and scapegoating, which has torn communities apart and has created anxieties and stress in workplaces in the U.S. and other parts of the world. Black Lives Matter, or rather, new Civil Rights Movement, and Stop Asian Hate in America epitomize the fights for social justice. Such radical social movements are not only American phenomenon; it is indeed part of a wider movement around the world. Globally, right-wing populism has efficiently used nationalist definitions of history to seek to silence opposition and to build walls among peoples, in Brazil, Australia, Japan, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Colombia, New Zealand, Italy, Russian, to name but a few.   

This global issue has created an unprecedented moment to reflect upon how and why history is used, reinterpreted, contested, and commemorated in the public, and the implication for future corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices and public policies. It is also a critical moment of opportunity for building cross-racial and cross-national bridges and solidarity and dispel myths and misconceptions. Increasingly, we are confronting a more demanding public that yearns for a deeper understanding of the past, and a continuing public appetite for challenging historical products that shows a need for sophisticated understanding of debate and discussion. This forum seeks to respond to such urgent global debates.    

This forum is hosted by the China Business Studies Initiative in the USF School of Management.

America, China, and the Global Tech Economy

This event will be in conjunction with the National Committee on US-China Relations China Town Hall, and will follow a national keynote talk with Fareed Zakaria held at 4 p.m. PST.

A panel of experts will discuss America's and China's relationship in the context of the tech economy. On top of the issues arising from the trade dispute, the pandemic response, and other sources of bilateral tension, both sides now are: rethinking their approach to regulating the tech economy, experiencing growing concerns about their citizens' data being held outside their borders; and worrying about how social media can affect politics, among other tech-related issues. The panelists include Darlene Chiu-Bryant of GlobalSF, Xiaomeng Lu of the Eurasia Group, Samm Sacks of New America, David Wertime of Protocol, and Steven Zhou of Tencent. The forum will be moderated by USF's Peter Lorentzen, associate professor of economics and CBSI executive board member.

AmCham Shanghai China Business Report Launch and Panel Discussion on China Business Climate

Date: September 23

Time: 3:30 to 5:30

Event Description: China has been the key market and supplier for American businesses for the past decade. COVID-19, U.S.-China tensions, and China domestic economic policies have changed how American companies operate but have not slowed down investment. American businesses are continuing to navigate the market and opportunities for growth still exist. The American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai (AmCham Shanghai), one of the largest chambers in Asia, will release its long-running China Business Report on September 23 in Shanghai and San Francisco. The report provides views of the business community on their experience in doing business in China and includes information on investment trends, business outlook and challenges.

AmCham Shanghai and the University of San Francisco’s China Business Studies Initiative will launch the report in the United States with a presentation on the key findings of the report by AmCham Shanghai President Ker Gibbs and a panel discussion of experts and business leaders on the China business climate. This is an exclusive discussion on how the business environment is evolving in China and how American companies are adjusting their strategies in this dynamic market.

Target Audience: We expect an audience of 35-40 people from the business, academic and government community. This event is by invitation only.

Agenda:

3:30 PM               Welcome Remarks by USF President Paul Fitzgerald (invited)

3:35 PM               Keynote speech: California State Treasurer Fiona Ma (invited)

3:55 PM               Presentation by Ker Gibbs on AmCham Shanghai China Business Report

4:20 PM               Panel Discussion moderated by Professor Xiaohua Yang

                             Panel speakers:

                             Ker Gibbs, President, AmCham, Shanghai

                             Howard Lin, Head of Business Development, Alibaba Cloud

                             Peter Lorentzen, Professor of Economics, USF

                             Vivien Wang, International Taxation Partner, Deloitt

                             Don Williams, Partner, Hogan Lovells International LLP

5:15  PM.             Q&A

5:30 PM               Event Ends