Closing Remarks: H-SC Alumni College

June 7, 2009

R. T. Herdegen III, Dean of the Faculty

This concludes what has been a terrific program on what may be one of the most enigmatic but fascinating countries in the world, one that has changed dramatically in our lifetimes, and one on which we now depend in so many ways. What have we learned over the past three days?

First and perhaps foremost, we heard that China is so large in scale and so complex that we cannot easily come to “know and understand” it. We must continue to study it closely to be in a position to work and negotiate with its leaders, and to continue to develop the proper relationship between our two nations.

Click image for a larger view.

We learned from one of our leading scholars of China about three significant events that shaped modern China: exploration of a scale that eclipses that of the European exploration which led Europeans to North America, but resulted in a period of 500 years of isolation; the cultural revolution which occurred half-way through the 20^th century, and the normalization of relations with the US; essentially, closing out and then opening up again to the rest of the world

We were told that there is no more important relationship for the future of the world today than the relationship between the US and China.

We heard that as we continue to move forward in our interactions with China, we must be asking not whether our relationships will be marked by conflict or cooperation, but asking where we want to be in our relationships with China in ten years, and how we are going to get there. We also were told that in moving toward establishing trust with China, our countries first must build lines of communication and develop an understanding of one another.

We heard cautionary notes about the Chinese military, and that while the Peoples Republic of China—the country and its 1.3 billion people—itself is not the enemy, the Chinese Communist Party is not to be trusted and Peoples Liberation Army is a threat. Yet we still may be able to—or must—come together to build a future over our common interests.

We learned of the multiplicity of challenges that we face as our governments and businesses work more closely together—diplomatic relations, industrial espionage, cybersecurity, pollution and threats to the environment, and human rights among them. Moreover, that we need to continue with our dialogue with China, but must deal with the Chinese firmly and with strength.

We were told how the government of China responded to the events of Tiananmen Square 20 years ago, the lessons that it learned, and how it has emerged with perhaps even greater strength. But at the same time, the Chinese Communist Party may not be able to sustain their hold over the people of China, leading one to wonder what may be in China’s future beyond the CCP.

We were given insights into the challenges that China will face with pollution and threats to the environment as it continues to develop. And we heard about how the perceptions that we have of environmental threats in China may differ from those of the Chinese people—along the way getting insight from one of our own students as to how we go about studying such matters.

We learned about the economic and social implications of China’s family planning policy for its population and for its future potential workforce. Finally, we heard about the significant changes in trade and especially in foreign investment in China that have occurred over the last thirty years, since the opening up of China to the rest of the work as a financial market.

However, this is but a sampling of the lessons we have learned and which we will take home.

Ultimately, the measure of success of a program such as this Alumni College is the impact it had on each of you. Were your eyes opened or your mind changed by the information presented by our speakers? Were any of your preconceptions challenged? Did you find yourself engaged in serious discussion on the topic with someone who had been a stranger to you before this weekend? Were you intellectually stimulated, and did you have fun? If so, then this was a success. It is these matters that are at the heart of a liberal education and what Hampden-Sydney College is all about…openness to new ideas, critical thinking, and lifelong learning.

I’d like to thank all of the presenters for taking the time to be with us this weekend and to offer their ideas and their wisdom. Thanks to Richard Epperson, Andrea O’York, and Tanya Overton in Alumni Relations for all that they did to take care of the myriad details that go into putting on this event, and to the many other HSC and ARAMARK staff who worked behind the scenes to make it possible. We are profoundly grateful to Ken Townsend for organizing this program and assembling such a distinguished and informative panel of presenters. It represents a tremendous amount of thought and effort over the past year, on top of an already heavy schedule of teaching, advising, and scholarship. Thank you so much, Ken, for putting this together.

Finally thank you for coming—without all of you, our weekend students and supporters, there wouldn’t be an Alumni College. Travel home safely, keep thinking (and thinking critically) about what you have learned here. We look forward to seeing you again next year….