Nov 30, 2016
Do leaders make history or does history make leaders? At a
National Committee program on November 10, 2016, in New York City,
Kerry Brown tackled these perennial questions as he talked about
the Berkshire Dictionary of Chinese Biography, which he edited—the
first work of its kind in over a century. Brown presented Chinese
biography as a uniquely useful way to understand historical events,
and discussed the influence of individual Chinese leaders, in
different fields, over the last four decades. He also discussed his
book CEO, China: The Rise of Xi Jinping, which examines
the role of Xi Jinping today and contrasts him with Chinese leaders
of the past. Brown discussed Chinese leadership questions in a
global context, and explored how individuals are shaped by their
times but also have the potential to influence Chinese and world
history. He was joined in conversation by NCUSCR President Stephen
Orlins.
Kerry Brown is professor of Chinese Studies and director of the Lau
China Institute at King's College, London. From 2012 to 2015 he was
professor of Chinese Politics and director of the China Studies
Centre at the University of Sydney, Australia. Prior to this he
worked at Chatham House from 2006 to 2012, as senior fellow and
then head of the Asia Programme. From 1998 to 2005 he worked at the
British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, as first secretary at the
British Embassy in Beijing, and then as head of the Indonesia,
Philippine and East Timor Section. He lived in the Inner Mongolia
region of China from 1994 to 1996.
Dr. Brown has a Master of Arts from Cambridge University, a Post
Graduate Diploma in Mandarin Chinese (Distinction) from Thames
Valley University, London, and a PhD in Chinese politics and
language from Leeds University. He is the author of over ten
books on modern Chinese politics, history and language, the most
recent of which are The New Emperors: Power and the Princelings
in China (2014) and What's Wrong with Diplomacy: The Case
of the UK and China (2015). He was editor in chief of the
Berkshire Dictionary of Chinese Biography (in four volumes-
2014-2015). His CEO, China: the Rise of Xi Jinping was
published in 2016.