Chinese scholar and retired Gen. Pan Zhenqiang will be on campus until March 15 to take part in a series of workshops and panel discussions with faculty as well as to help establish the U.S.-China New Relationship Colloquium.
The colloquium is a cooperative initiative among the Center for International Trade and Security at the UGA School of Public and International Affairs, the China Reform Forum and China’s Central University of Finance and Economics. It is designed to stimulate economic and cultural exchange between Beijing and Washington, D.C., by working at both the international and local levels.
“We are pleased to welcome Gen. Pan Zhenqiang to our campus and see his visit as part of UGA’s growing international presence—a presence that not only enhances educational opportunities for our students, but also is likely to exert a positive economic impact for the Atlanta region and the state of Georgia,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead.
The first official meeting of the U.S.-China New Relationship Colloquium will take place in Beijing May 12-14, with subsequent colloquia rotating between the U.S. and China on a biannual basis. Over the past 18 months, Pan has worked with William Keller, the director of CITS, on the colloquium project. His visit to UGA will help foster relations between key think tanks and businesses in the U.S. and China.
“It is important that the people of China and of the Atlanta region come to know one another and appreciate their mutual opportunities,” Pan said. “There are many critical issues in the areas of trade and security that can only be addressed if an atmosphere of trust can be established.”
