| A Message from our Office
| |
| Message from David Dumke, GPII Executive Director
A Conversation About U.S.-Chinese Relations
Looking at any international issue, from security to economic development to climate change, and the conversation eventually turns to the Sino-American rivalry. Will the U.S. maintain its status as the sole global superpower, or has the world power structure morphed into a bipolar or multipolar construct? Does China’s rise inevitably mean America’s decline? What are the implications of Beijing becoming a great power? Will this rivalry increase economic interdependence or trigger protectionism? Will economic and ideological competition inevitably lead to military conflict? How should other nations respond to growing tension between Beijing and Washington?
These are but a few of the questions policymakers, journalists, the business community, and analysts are contemplating. The answers to these questions vary considerably, and are often colored by political calculations and, in 2024, election-year politics. But make no mistake, how the U.S.-Chinese relationship evolves is crucial to understanding the future of global politics, security, and economics.
On February 28, Global Perspectives & International Initiatives (GPII) is honored to host Max Baucus, who served as U.S. Ambassador the China from 2014-2017. Baucus represented Montana in the U.S. Senate from 1978-2014. He chaired the powerful Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over trade policy, for seven years. We look forward to the conversation with Amb. Baucus, and hope he can provide us with insight about China and the future of our relationship with this critically important nation.
Baucus currently heads the Max S. Baucus Institute at the University of Montana and maintains close ties to China. The Baucus Institute sponsors student scholarships to China, facilitating people-to-people diplomacy. It does so because, “there is an increasing need for experts familiar with the ever-changing nature of the Chinese economy and Chinese political and legal systems to provide advisory services to businesses and policymakers.” Baucus has likened the U.S.-China relationship to an “arranged marriage” where each partner is trying to find ways to accommodate each other while still protecting their own interests. Neither country is going anywhere, and he does not believe conflict is inevitable. Thus, mutual understanding is critically important.
Taiwan has long been a point of friction between Washington and Beijing. When U.S.-Chinese relations were normalized by Jimmy Carter, Washington downgraded relations with Taipei. But U.S. support of the “one China” policy was coupled with Chinese promises of a diplomatic solution and continued American military support for and economic ties with Taiwan.
In January, Lai Ching-to of the Democratic Progressive Party won the Taiwanese presidential election. Lai and his party are supportive of Taiwanese independence, which causes considerable heartburn in Beijing. There has been speculation about whether Lai’s win could prompt Chinese President Xi Jinping to invade the island. However, forecasts of imminent war diminished because the election actually produced a split verdict. The Kuomintang (KMT), which favors a less confrontational approach to relations with the mainland, retained control of parliament.
Vietnam, Ukraine, North Korea, India, Afghanistan, the Middle East, and Africa – wherever one looks, there is considerable discussion of how U.S.-Chinese relations influence events and relations. But the biggest variable, even beyond China’s military buildup and America’s military supremacy, is economic. The U.S. and China, respectively, are the two largest economies in the world, and trade between the two amounts to $760 billion per year. Washington and Beijing compete for trade partners, and increasingly offer competing economic development models for potential allies.
There are disputes large and small over trade barriers, intellectual property, and a range of economic policies. But in the end, the nations must find a way forward, hopefully without resorting to armed conflict, a mutually damaging trade war, or slipping into a fridged cold war that divides the world into opposing camps at a volatile time in world history. We look forward to hearing from Ambassador Baucus and doing our part to promote understanding of China, and how the relationship with our chief strategic competitor will shape our collective future.
| |
– David Dumke, Executive Director, UCF Global Perspectives & International Initiatives
| |
|
Mandell Distinguished Speaker Series: Understanding US-China Relations - Strategic Competition and Cooperation
| |
Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024 from 3:00PM to 4:30PM
In-person Event - UCF Main Campus, Fairwinds Alumni Center – Ballroom AB
UCF Office of Global Perspectives and International Initiatives (GPII) is pleased to host esteemed guest Senator Max Baucus, the longest-serving U.S. senator in Montana and Former US Ambassador to China.
The discussion will focus on the current state of the bilateral relations between US and China, US foreign policy, as well as the competition in the technological, economic, and geopolitical arena.
Moderated by: David Dumke, Executive Director for the Office of Global Perspectives and International Initiatives (GPII)
This event is part of the Lester N. Mandell Endowed Distinguished Lecture Series and hosted by UCF Global Perspectives and International Initiatives.
More Info | All are welcome | Register here
| |
Post-Disaster Housing in Puerto Rico: A Conversation with Dr. Raúl Santiago- Bartolomei
| |
Wednesday, February 21, 2024 from 12:00PM-1:30PM
In-person Event - UCF Global Building, Room 202
The Puerto Rico Research Hub cordially invites you for an enlightening conversation between guest speaker Dr.Raúl Santiago- Bartolomei, Assistant Professor at the Graduate School of Planning, University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras, and Dr. Fernando Rivera, Director of the UCF Puerto Rico Research Hub. Dr. Santiago will discuss the challenges, solutions, and the broader impact on communities.
More Info | All are welcome | Register here
| |
Disaster Management and Recovery: Creating Cooperative
Opportunities Conference
| |
Monday, March 4 and Tuesday March 5, 2024
Istanbul, Turkey
UCF Office of Global Perspectives and International Initiatives (GPII) and The Hollings Center for International Dialogue are pleased to collaborate on a dialogue conference titled, Disaster Management and Recovery: Creating Cooperative Opportunities to be held in Istanbul, Türkiye. This conference will cultivate a multidisciplinary dialogue by bringing together a diverse group of experts, including academics and practitioners, from the Middle East, North Africa, and the United States.
This collaborative initiative has a core objective of expanding UCF impact globally and supporting UCF strategic goal of becoming a university for the future through producing and implementing impactful, innovative, high impact practices and creative activities.
| |
GPII at the Annual ‘Human Trafficking Awareness’ Conference
| |
GPII's Karen Solla attended the 16th annual Human Trafficking Awareness conference hosted at Valencia College. Solla with fellow panelists Tricia Connelly and Jan Edwards discussed the book chapter they had co-authored titled “Chapter 13: the role of media in the fight against human trafficking.” The chapter is written as part of the second edition of the textbook Human Trafficking: A Systemwide Public Safety and Community Approach.
Their discussion included exploring the difference between traditional or legacy media and social media, how each type of media can aid in the fight against human trafficking, how AI is being used to fight human trafficking, and how to avoid the misconceptions when creating content to fight human trafficking. The panel discussion was moderated by Karla Ray, the anchor for WFTV 9 Eyewitness News.
| |
Puerto Rico Research Hub in the State Capitol
| |
Dr. Fernando Rivera, Director for the Puerto Rico Research Hub at UCF, participated in a voter education panel during Puerto Rico Day at the state capitol in Tallahassee. Established in 1999, the Puerto Rico Day provides the Florida Legislature members the opportunity to have access to the Puerto Rican Community. Dr. Rivera shared some recent population mobility statistics from Puerto Rico to Florida and discussed their primary needs upon relocation. In addition, he shared some insights on how to best educate and promote participation in the electoral process.
| |
GPII Partakes in the Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program
| |
GPII Assistant Director Dr. Mirvate El Jerdi discussed GPII’s impactful work with participants on a program titled “Higher Education in the United States: Innovation and Opportunities for Partnership.” The participants comprised of university administrators, academic faculty and program directors, and international student offices representatives at Central and South America.
The visitors are invited to the United States under the auspices of the Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program. They were hosted by UCF Global to receive an overview of the U.S. higher education system, examine trends and innovations in educational technologies, explore educational opportunities and access, and assess opportunities for international linkages and partnerships.
| |
|
Global Perspectives TV Show
| |
WUCF-TV’s Global Perspectives Hosts Dr. Mark Deets, Director, Prince Alwaleed Center for American Studies and Research (CASAR), the American University in Cairo
| |
David Dumke sits with Dr. Deets to discuss his book: "A Country of Defiance." Deets is a social and cultural historian of modern Africa, with a research focus on the Senegambian region of West Africa in the 19th and 20th centuries. His research emerges from his diplomatic experience in Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, and Cape Verde, working to bring about lasting peace in Senegal’s Casamance region.
Start Watching
| |
Art, Culture, and Limited Spaces Podcast Series
| |
Enjoy listening to "Art, Culture, and Limited Spaces" where art and culture stand as resilient mediums, providing spaces for diverse opinions to flourish. In this latest episode, Dr. Zeynep Arda and Dr. Mirvate El Jerdi host special guests Pascal Brunet and Fabienne Trotte from Relais Culture Europe. The conversation revolves around Brunet and Trotte’s expertise in developing cultural projects, emphasizing how art strengthens democracies.
To learn more about Relais Culture Europe, visit: here
Start listening
| |
|  | UCF GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES
AND INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVES
4356 Scorpius Street, Orlando, FL USA 32816
Phone: 407.823.2337 | Fax: 407.823.2526
| |
| | |
|
|
|
