The Writing on the Wall: China and its Role in the 21st Century
China has become one of the foremost players on the global stage. It is clear to all of us, whether we’re watching the Olympics on TV, or observing the way area businesses and schools are ramping up their knowledge of Chinese language and culture.
There is a pressing need for us to better understand China and its place in the world, to move beyond the headlines in the papers and find real answers to the following questions:
What is China’s outlook on the world? On the United States?
How should we view China's role in the global economy (both as a manufacturer and exporter and as a large investor)? What is its role likely to be in the future?
China's economy has modernized over the past thirty years - has its society modernized as well?
How serious are China's environmental problems, and what are the Chinese doing to solve these challenges?
The 2008-09 GEP Speaker Series, Community Book Club, and curricular initiatives work to answer these questions for our students, faculty, parents, friends, and others in the Toledo community. We also week to draw on the resources of the members of our school, local Chinese community, and Sister School, Yanshan University Attachment School, in pursuing these answers.
