Dealing with the Downturn in US-China Relations: What Should Universities Do?

The rapid deteroriation of US-China relations has major geo-strategic implications. It coincides with deepening anxieties in several countries, especially Australia and the United States, to a lesser extent in Canada, about the risks and dangers of closer connections with Chinese universities, research institutes, and funders.

The presentation will look at the roles of North American universities in addressing earlier periods of conflict with China by focusing on the activities of John Fairbank and his role at Harvard during the Cold War. It will conclude with some ideas about how Canadian universities, including UBC, should react to the challenge of living and cooperating with Xi Jinping's China.