Ho Miu Lam Endowed Chair in China and Pacific Relations Awarded to Susan Shirk
08/01/2007
Allison Uros,
Founded in 1997, the Ho Miu Lam Endowed Fellowship was formed to continue the legacy in Chinese international affairs that Kwan and Marion So began while at IR/PS in 1990. The newly established Ho Miu Lam Chair in China and Pacific Relations commits to placing IR/PS among the highest regarded university programs around the globe researching and teaching in China. Kwan and Marion So wanted to form this chair to “give back in appreciation for the success they have had in this country.” Therefore, when bestowing this position, it only seemed natural to select one of UC San Diego’s most distinguished scholars, Susan L. Shirk.
On July 16, 2007, Dean Cowhey, faculty, and staff celebrated the investiture of Susan Shirk as the inaugural chair holder. Cowhey announced that the So’s generosity “has enabled IR/PS to achieve it’s vision of educating talented young professionals to lead the emergence of the Pacific community, and helped place us among the most highly regarded university programs doing research and teaching on China.”
Shirk currently serves as the director of the University of California system-wide Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation (IGCC) and as a professor of political science at IR/PS. As a former U.S. Deputy Assistance Secretary of State in the Bureau of East Asia and Pacific Affairs during the Clinton administration, Shirk personally knows many of China's current leaders. Her publications include her books, How China Opened Its Door: The Political Success of the PRC’s Foreign Trade and Investment Reforms; The Political Logic of Economic Reform in China; and Competitive Comrades: Career Incentives and Student Strategies in China. Her recently acclaimed book, China: Fragile Superpower, explores the danger of Chinese politics – insecure leadership.
At the end of the evening Shirk graciously accepted the chair, and thanked the Sos for creating a fund that will enhance the study and understanding of an area which she feels so passionate about. IR/PS is proud to welcome such a distinguished and globally recognized scholar into the new ranks as the first chair holder for the Ho Miu Lam Endowed Fellowship.
