Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Lectures to explore innovation and management in the Chinese economy
The event forms part of Leeds Business School's Guest Lecture Series and will include talks from leading author and academic Martin Jacques, Stephen Phillips, Chief Executive of the China-Britain Business Council (CBBC), Tom Riordan, Chief Executive of Leeds City Council and Ken Ma from Alibaba Group PLC, one China's most successful companies.
The lectures will take place at the University's Rose Bowl on Tuesday 1 July and will explore the Chinese economy and the future for Chinese Management and Entrepreneurship.
Speaking about the event, Professor Christopher Prince, Dean of the Faculty of Business & Law at Leeds Metropolitan University said: "I am delighted that Leeds Business School is hosting this important and prestigious event which celebrates the close ties between Leeds and Hangzhou. The event covers a number of very important issues that I hope will provide insights into how companies can make the most of the growing number of opportunities to develop business links with our friends in China."
Martin Jacques is the author of the global best-seller 'When China Rules the World: the End of the Western World and the Birth of a New Global Order'. First published in 2009 and shortlisted for two major literary awards, it has since been translated into fourteen languages and sold over 300,000 copies.
In his lecture, Martin will argue that China will replace the United States as the world's dominant power. In so doing, it will not become more western but the world will become more Chinese.
In his talk, entitled 'The future development of UK and European Trade and Business links with China', Stephen Phillips will talk about the future development of UK and European Trade and Business Links with China and the opportunities for British Companies. Stephen Phillips joined the China- Britain Business Council as Chief Executive in June 2006 and has been actively engaged in business in and with China since 1989 and his experience spans a number of sectors including aerospace, oil, gas and petrochemicals, infrastructure, ICT and financial services.
Ken Ma is the Asia Pacific region Business Development Manager in the Alibaba Group International B2C Division of Alibaba in Hangzhou. He is a Leeds Metropolitan University graduate and will explore the rise of the Alibaba Group and its global strategy, looking in detail at its new investment initiatives and the future of online retailing.
Alibaba Group is a family of Internet-based businesses with a mission to make it easy for anyone to buy or sell anywhere in the world. Since its inception, it has developed leading businesses in consumer e-commerce, online payment, business-to-business marketplaces and cloud computing and has expanded into new areas such as mobile apps, mobile operating system and Internet TV.
Tom Riordan and Lurene Joseph, the Chief Executive of Leeds and Partners will explore Leeds City region's strong links to Zheijang Province, focusing on collaboration between the Leeds and Hangzhou city regions and the new Leeds China Club.
Looking ahead to the guest lectures, one of the event organisers Professor John Shutt explains: "The Chinese economy is still growing fast and in cities like Hangzhou there is strong interest in entrepreneurship and business development, employment and skills training and talent management and in Chinese companies going global and investing in the UK. Hangzhou is the fourth largest city in China and has a special relationship with Leeds, developed over the last 28 years and this extends to the two universities. This event celebrates the close ties between the two cities and brings together those in the Yorkshire regions with an interest in China."
In 2012 Professor John Shutt published a report, "Developing a UK & Chinese Partnership for Business Education", which focused on the special relationship between Leeds and Hangzhou in the Zhejiang province of China and outlines the potential for business and academic links between the two cities to further strengthen.
The report was commissioned by the British Councils Prime Ministers Initiative for China and outlined the potential for further growth being Leeds and Hangzhou in the next ten years.
Other guest speakers in this year's Leeds Business School series have included BBC Chief Economics Correspondent Hugh Pym and Michael Woodford, the former chief executive who blew the whistle on a £1bn corporate fraud at Japanese electronics giant Olympus.
In 2012, the Chinese Olympic Committee chose the City of Leeds as its training camp base for over 300 athletes prior to the 2012 Olympic Games in London.