policymakers


2008 Policymakers Seminar Series and Trip to China


Program Mission
2008 Lecture Series
Trip to China
2008 Delegation Participants
Photo Gallery
Final Program Report

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The U.S.-China Policy Foundation completed another successful year with the 2008 Policymakers Program. In May, the Foundation selected a bipartisan group of fourteen Congressional staffers, from both the Senate and the House, to participate in the program. Following notification of their acceptance, participants attended a series of six seminars to learn about Chinese history, economics, politics, security and U.S.-China relations. On August 31, the delegation participants departed for a week-long trip to China for a first-hand experience of what they had learned.

After more than a decade, the program remains unique. It is the only one of its kind that prepares participants for their trip to China with seminars and lectures on a variety of subjects relating to China presented by top American scholars in the China field. By the time members of the delegation travel to China, they are equipped with a basic understanding of the country.

The program’s success is well-known on Capitol Hill among those involved in the China field and has been praised by members of Congress and their staff. Upon their return to the United States, this year’s participants reflected on their time in China, expressing how much they enjoyed the experience. Not only did the delegation members feel more knowledgeable about China, but they also felt better equipped to provide relevant and accurate information to members of Congress regarding policies on China.

 

Program Mission

The purpose of the Policymakers Seminar and Trip to China Program is to provide a small group of Congressional staff the opportunity to enhance their understanding of China and bilateral relations.

2008 Lecture Series

Unlike other delegations to China, which often emphasize tourism, our program emphasizes education and understanding about Chinese politics, economics, and history.  The program’s unique pre-trip seminar series gives participants the rare opportunity to learn directly from the nation’s leading China specialists.  Seminar lecturers educate participants on China’s history, economic and security issues, and the current state of U.S.-China relations. 

Our 2008 schedule of speakers included:

 

Trip to China
August 31 - September 7

The seminar series was followed by a trip to China, which took place at the end of the summer congressional recess. The trip was hosted by the National People's Congress, and included meetings and activities in Beijing, Shanghai, and Suzhou. Participants in the delegation used the trip as an opportunity to apply and expand knowledge gained in the seminars through first-hand observations and experiences in China. 


Policymakers at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing

 

2008 Policymakers Delegation Participants:

Timothy Aiken
Legislative Director, Rep. Jim Moran (8th - VA)

Aaron Dowd
Special Assistant, Sen. Chuck Hagel (NE)

Bethany Joy Eyre
Legislative Assistant Rep. Dan Burton (5th - IN)

Kim Fuller
Senior Legislative Assistant Rep. Gregory W. Meeks (6th - NY)

Todd Greenwood
Professional Staff Member House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

Christopher Kaumo
Legislative Director Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva (7th - AZ)

Brandi Lowell
Legislative Director/ Deputy Chief of Staff Rep. Lincoln Davis (4th - TN)

Katherine Sinclair MacGregor
Legislative Assistant Rep. Thelma Drake (2nd - VA )

Rebecca Mark
Legislative Assistant Rep. Gwen Moore (4th -WI)

Tonya Newman
Deputy Chief of Staff Sen. David Vitter (LA)

Katherine Quinn
Legislative Assistant Rep. Adam Smith (9th - WA)

Diana White
Administrative Assistant Rep. Christopher Shays (4th - CT )

Stephanie Williamson
Senior Legislative Assistant Rep. Howard L. Berman (28th - CA)

Rachelle Wood
Legislative Assistant Rep. Eliot L. Engel (17th - NY)

 

 


The USCPF is a nonprofit organization that fosters better understanding between the United States and China through education and exchange. It is a nonpartisan, non-advocacy, tax-exempt 501[c][3] institution.

The program is made possible by a generous grant from the Freeman Foundation. The educational trip to China is approved under Section 108A of the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961 (MECEA). For more information, please see 22 U.S.C. §2451 et seq.

 

 

Links to additional Policymakers pages:

Previous Program Summaries & Final Reports
Policymakers Program Group Photos

Policymakers Program Home
Return to USCPF Home Page

 

If you have any questions about this program, please contact the Foundation at uscpf@uscpf.org.