2011

  • 2011 Oct 03

    The European Parliament: A Key Actor in Transnational Democracy

    2:45pm to 4:00pm

    Location: 

    124 Mount Auburn, Suite 200-North, Cambridge, MA

    Klaus WelleKlaus Welle, Secretary-General of the European Parliament
    Co-sponsored by the Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, Harvard University, and the Kokkalis Program on Southeastern and East-Central Europe, Harvard Kennedy School

    About the Speaker
    Klaus Welle is the European Parliament’s most senior official. Appointed by its Bureau, he is responsible for Parliament’s administration, heading the Secretariat. Welle assists the President, the Bureau, the political groups and the elected Members of the European Parliament. He ensures the seamless operation of parliamentary business under the leadership of the President and the Bureau. In addition, with the President, he verifies and signs the ordinary legislative acts of the European Union, and plays an important role in the preparation of the Parliament’s draft budget estimates.

  • 2011 Oct 02

    China Goes Global Conference (2011)

    Sun Oct 2 (All day) to Tue Oct 4 (All day)

    Location: 

    Taubman Building, Harvard Kennedy School

    About the Conference
    China’s present status in the world economy is already very impressive: The country is the world’s most populous nation, biggest trader and recipient of inbound investment, and second largest economy (in GDP PPP), and third largest trader, and the largest recipient of foreign direct investment. China has 170 cities of over one million people, as well as three of the world’s largest 20 cities: Guangzhou, Shanghai and Beijing. With over 800 million cell phone subscribers and the largest online population, China is also a major force in the introduction and diffusion of technology.... Read more about China Goes Global Conference (2011)

  • 2011 Sep 29

    Transforming Leaders in Indonesia

    (All day)

    2011 Leadership Transformation in Indonesia courseThe Leadership Transformation in Indonesia program is a four-week executive education course focusing on issues of leadership in public service. One week of the course takes place in Jakarta with classroom sessions; the remaining three weeks include classroom sessions at Harvard University and structured site visits with local government officials in the Boston area. This customized course is the result of a collaboration between the Harvard Kennedy School Indonesia Program and the Indonesian Ministry of Home Affairs (KemenDagri). Started in September 2011, the second iteration took place in September 2012.... Read more about Transforming Leaders in Indonesia

  • 2011 Sep 23

    First Annual China Connecting Conversations Conference (2011)

    (All day)

    Location: 

    Swiss-Re Centre for Global Dialogue, Zurich, Switzerland

    About the Conference
    The China Connecting Conversations conference addresses how China influences nations and corporations. It will bring together top business leaders, international government officials, and renowned academics from around the globe to gain deep insights in the China factor in the global zeitgeist, which can be used to the benefit of the organizations and the society at large. The China Connecting Conversations are held in the recognition that mutual understanding, respect, and trust are vital for successful corporate and public-private relations beyond borders.... Read more about First Annual China Connecting Conversations Conference (2011)

  • 2011 Sep 22

    Innovations in Government: Characteristics of Innovative Programs Then and Now

    4:10pm to 5:30pm

    Location: 

    124 Mount Auburn Street, Suite 200-North, Cambridge, MA

    Sanford Borins, University of Toronto

    About the Seminar
    Public officials and citizens are always calling for more innovation in government. But what factors make a program innovative? Statistical research on a random sample (234 observations) of the 550 applicants to the 2010 Innovations in American Government Awards reveals some interesting findings. At this seminar, Borins will first explore what determines which applicants advance in the competition. Are some types of innovations stronger than others (e.g. inter-organizational partnerships)? Does effective storytelling in the application help? Which of the four criteria used by evaluators (novelty, effectiveness, significance, transfer or transferability) matter most? This presentation will also compare the frequency of characteristics of current applicants (e.g., partnerships, use of information technology, empowerment) with research on applicants in the 1990s to highlight how innovations in government have changed over time.... Read more about Innovations in Government: Characteristics of Innovative Programs Then and Now

  • 2011 Sep 21

    China's Road Towards Democratic Governance

    4:10pm to 5:30pm

    Location: 

    124 Mount Auburn Street, Suite 200-North, Cambridge, MA

    Yu KepingYu Keping, Director, Center for Chinese Government Innovations, Peking University 

    About the Seminar
    Yu Keping will illustrate briefly the whole process of governance reform since the Reform in 1978 in China, including achievements, breakthrough reforms, map line, dynamics, and reform focus in the near future. He will also frankly discuss and analyze the biggest challenges faced by the Chinese government today – or, put another way, the most unsatisfactory issues that concern the public about their government. Such dissatisfaction lies not in economic growth, but in social problems such as social inequality, the growing gap between the rich and poor, serious corruption among public officials, social instability, high crime rates, environmental degradation, and ignorance of citizens’ human rights. To solve these problems, it is far from enough to merely rely on economic development: it is imperative to enhance democratic governance. This is the basic reason why Chinese President Hu Jintao stresses the importance of “scientific development.” The essence of “scientific development” lies in the coordinated, comprehensive, and sustainable development policies and practices among the political, economic, cultural, societal, and environmental arenas. This is also the reason that Premier Wen Jiabao continually underscores that democracy and rule of law, as well as equality and justice, are the primary values of true Socialism.... Read more about China's Road Towards Democratic Governance

  • 2011 Sep 20

    Program on Crisis Leadership & Crisis Management Student PIC Open House

    4:30pm to 6:00pm

    Location: 

    Taubman 401, Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge, MA

    About the Event
    Interested in crisis leadership and response? Want to learn more about disaster management and emergency preparedness? Meet other students interested in these issues and hear from faculty and staff of Harvard Kennedy School’s Program on Crisis Leadership and the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative about related academic offerings. Leaders of the Crisis Management PIC at HKS will be present to discuss additional opportunities for student involvement.... Read more about Program on Crisis Leadership & Crisis Management Student PIC Open House

  • 2011 Sep 20

    Towards Consensus

    2:30pm to 4:30pm

    Location: 

    124 Mount Auburn Street, Suite 200-North, Cambridge, MA
    Chen Ling

    The Policymaking Process in Transitional China: Long-term Water Challenges and Implications for Energy Constraints in China
    Chen Ling and Wang Can, Tsinghua University

    About the Seminar
    In the era of China’s economic and social transition, the improvement of the public policy process is often seen as a substitute for radical political reform, which might generate a sort of legitimacy through good governance and improved public welfare. This research analyzes the policy process by comparing cases in different policy fields: healthcare, nuclear energy, and population-control policy. The existing literature has already pointed out that the Chinese regime is fragmented, either in terms of the formal organizational structure or informal political factions. Starting from this observation, Professor Chen Ling will carefully scrutinize the major decision makers and related government agencies, and conclude that consensus building is the most essential activity of the policy process. The importance of consensus building is not new, but under the Hu-Wen administration, the process has become more institutionalized. Interest groups and think tanks are now stepping into the consensus building process. In addition, some channels of public participation have opened up, but their actual influence remains limited.... Read more about Towards Consensus

  • 2011 Sep 15

    Standing at the Crossroads: Taiwan’s Future and Its Relations with Mainland China

    2:00pm to 3:15pm

    Location: 

    Nye ABC, 5th Floor, Taubman Building, HKS

    About the Seminar
    Dr. Pu-tsung King, widely regarded as the most important aide of President Ma Ying-jeou, Republic of China (Taiwan), will speak on the ruling party’s Cross-Strait policy, especially as it might contrast with that of Taiwan’s opposition party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), and its implications for the United States.

    About the Speaker
    Dr. Pu-Tsung King is the executive director of President Ma Ying-jeou’s 2012 reelection campaign office and served as secretary general of the Kuomingtang (KMT) from December 2009 to January 2011.

  • 2011 Sep 14

    Affluence and Influence: Economic Inequality and Political Power in the United States

    4:10pm to 5:30pm

    Location: 

    124 Mt. Auburn Street, Suite 200-North, Cambridge, MA

    Martin Gilens

    Martin Gilens, Princeton University

    About the Seminar
    By allowing voters to choose among candidates with competing policy orientations and by providing incentives for incumbents to shape policy in the direction the public desires, elections are thought to provide the foundation that links government policy to the preferences of the governed. In this seminar, Gilens examines the extent to which the preference/policy link is biased toward the preferences of high-income Americans. Using an original data set of almost two thousand survey questions on proposed policy changes between 1981 and 2002, he finds a moderately strong relationship between what the public wants and what the government does, albeit with a strong bias toward the status quo. But he also finds that when Americans with different income levels differ in their policy preferences, actual policy outcomes strongly reflect the preferences of the most affluent but bear virtually no relationship to the preferences of poor or middle-income Americans. The vast discrepancy he finds in government responsiveness to citizens with different incomes stands in stark contrast to the ideal of political equality that Americans hold dear. Although perfect political equality is an unrealistic goal, representational biases of this magnitude call into question the very democratic character of our society.... Read more about Affluence and Influence: Economic Inequality and Political Power in the United States

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