The following is one of a series of blog post that were written while I was in China in the spring of 2009 as part of my Eisenhower Fellowship. If you have interest in China’s culture I think you will enjoy this series.

A Subtle Priority

At almost every meeting when the topic of technology entrepreneurship has come up there has been a mention of Tsinghua University.  Whether the impact of the alumni network or research and development it is clear that Tsinghua is the center of the country’s technology development effort. 

After leaving a meeting at the University’s startup incubator which had over 400 companies under 7 million square feet, we decided to walk around the university.  I had heard over and over that the university is the most difficult in the country to get into with only a very small percentage of those that apply receiving admission.  As I walked I noted how that it was a nice yet typical college campus with relatively small three story granite buildings.  The walk ways were lined with trees and there were several grass area to lounge.   

As we strolled through the campus I noticed that large industrial buses were continually coming into the campus.   As I watched the parade of buses and hundreds of people unload from the buses I asked the escort what was going on.  She replied that they were tour buses.  Tsinghua University is one of the largest tourist attractions in the country. 

I was surprised at first.  There were certainly more attractive and historic places within Beijing.  But as I was thinking about the explanation I started to realize that the buses were full of families with young children, many of which were as young as five years old. They had come from all over the country. Often traveled for days in pack buses to see and pay respect to the institution that was educating the country’s best and the brightest. 

The power and implications of this cultural norm is compelling.  It embeds a priority in the nation’s youth while at the same time providing a visual tangible path to success and a better lifestyle.

The following is one of a series of blog post that were written while I was in China in the spring of 2009 as part of my Eisenhower Fellowship. If you have interest in China’s culture I think you will enjoy this series.

A Relative Perspective

One of my many hopes for this trip is to spend at least an hour each day speaking with random local people.  Yesterday provided an excellent opportunity to spend some time with an ordinary Chinese couple.

I had convinced my interrupter that we could walk to our next meeting which was about 5km away.  In an interesting process, we navigated our way to the meeting by stopping about every two blocks and asking for directions.  (No need for a map according to my escort).  One of the individuals that we asked for directions was an older lady who turned out to be extremely helpful and at the same time was as curious about me as I was about her and her husband.  Neither she nor her husband spoke English, so we walked for several miles with the interrupter translating back an fourth, a process that the older couple obviously enjoyed.

It turned out that the husband and wife were in their 70’s, although I would have guessed that they were in their 50’s.  They were both retired from the local steel mill which they worked at for over 30 years. The couple was taking their daily mid-morning walk to the local park just outside of the Forbidden City.  

As we slowly walked through the busy streets of Beijing there was, a striking difference in what each party was interested in.  They were interested in my thoughts on American politics and movie stars. I on the other hand was interested in the details of how they lived day-to-day in China’s largest city.  

They had two children, a boy and a girl, each who had a single child. They were clearly proud of their son who was working at a private company in Beijing. They were excited about the recent announcement that the government was going to increase spending on healthcare, though few details were provided as to how this would be a good thing.  They survived off a monthly pension and a small amount of savings.  

Since they were over 65, almost all government services were free, including transportation, healthcare, etc.  They lived in a two room apartment with running water, electricity, heat, but no air condition. They had a radio, but no television.  They certainly had heard of the Internet, but neither had ever used it, and most interestingly, never understood why anyone would want to! 

The couple seemed genuinely happy.  

They were a very nice couple, and I hope that they enjoyed our discussion as much as I did.  I’m sure I learned a lot more today about Chinese culture during my walk than I would have during a taxi ride. 

The following is one of a series of blog post that were written while I was in China in the spring of 2009 as part of my Eisenhower Fellowship. If you have interest in China’s culture I think you will enjoy this series.

Next Stop China

24 hours later, and I am in Beijing.

My two year old girl’s name is Elena. She is temperamental, commanding attention at all times. Fearless, with no sense of apprehension, yet affectionate and extremely loving. Each morning she wakes at 6:00 a.m., quietly climbs into bed and pokes either my wife or I until someone says something to her. Then she just giggles.

In the last year I can not remember being away from her for more than 2 nights in a row. As I sit in my Beijing hotel tonight, I realize it will be 31 nights until I see her again.

I believe one of the most difficult challenges parents face is balancing their own personal goals and ambitions with the needs and desires of their children. It is a constant juggling act where parents try to ensure that they have a healthy sense of self-fulfillment, while at the same time engaging in their children’s lives. Like all Eisenhower Fellows, when I decided to apply for the fellowship I was aware of the sacrifices it might entail.  Still, my wife and I determined that the rewards outweighed the costs.

The cost of a month without my daughter is high. I accept this reality not as a negative, but a reminder and motivator to ensure that I utilize this time wisely.

The schedule in front of me is packed from dusk to dawn with some of the most influential and accomplished leaders in the region. I suspect the month ahead of me will be one of the most exciting and educational of my life. I hope to be able to translate my experiences here into tangible results for our region when I return: to find better ways to get businesses off the ground; to develop more efficient means to help young companies grow;  to develop a network to assist in recruiting top companies and talent to our region.

This is an incredible reward and I am eternally grateful to all those who have made this possible, from the trustees to the Eisenhower Fellowship team. And a special thanks to Erin and Julia who have put in tireless hours over the past several months coordinating my program. Thank you, thank you, thank you!