As a fundamental component of its program, the HSPH China Initiative organizes the China Social Development Forum to discuss critical social policy issues with leading scholars and policy-makers in China. As a global leader in knowledge creation and transfer, the Harvard School of Public Health has the capacity to help China effectively address major concerns in social sector development through collaborative research and communication.
The inaugural Forum was successfully held June 22-23, 2007 in Beijing with prominent leaders from Harvard, the Central Party School, and Tsinghua University and other Chinese and international organizations in attendance. The second Forum was successfully conducted on September 25-26, 2009 in Boston. This forum focused on the intersection of the global economic crisis and the issue of social development, as it relates to China. US and Chinese scientists, scholars and senior government officials participated in the forum.
Objectives
- To meet annually alternately in Boston and Beijing to develop a comprehensive understanding of the key social development issues in China, while also seeking to help inform China's public policy process by drawing on both Chinese and international perspectives and experiences. Each Forum focuses on a specific theme, and the major results of the commissioned studies are then discussed and disseminated. A policy briefing paper synthesizing major findings and recommendations from each Forum is delivered to China's top policy makers, and an edited volume of the Forum proceedings is published in both Chinese and English and then widely distributed.
- To coordinate and support a series of inter-disciplinary studies on a select set of social development issues in China. These studies will be carried out by Harvard faculties, research fellows, and students in collaboration with leading Chinese scholars. Major issues to be studied include (but are not limited to):
- the relationship between economic and social development;
- governance structure for social development;
- achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs);
- aging society and social security;
- controlling major public health risks, including nutrition, environmental, and behavioral risks;
- health care system reforms;
- human capital and social capital;
- corporate social responsibilities;
- leadership development.
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The Second China Social Development Forum
Organized by HSPH China Initiative and co-hosted by Central Party School of China (CPS), the Second China Social Development Forum was convened at Harvard University on October 25-26, 2009. Nearly 150 participants from both China and Harvard University attended the forum.
At the openning session, Professor Jorge Dominguez, Vice Provost of Harvard University, Professor Boli Zhang, Director General of Research at Central Party School and Minister Feng Xie from the Embassy of China in the United States presented remarks to audiances. Professor Anthony Saich, Director of Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard Kennedy School of Government gave a keynots speech of "Governing China in a Period of Profound Socioeconomic Transformation".
At the closing dinner, Professor William Kirby, T.M. Chang Professor of China Studies at Harvard University delivered a keynote speech provided his perspective to the development of China.
Coping with the rapid change and reform of China, the topics of the forum focused on key issues in Chinese society including: social equality, education and civil society, urban & rural development, public-private partnership, social values and policies, and population, environment and health (Here for forum agenda).
