Rand Center For Asia Pacific Policy (CAPP)
The Rand Center for Asia Pacific Policy is part of the International Programs at Rand Corp. It conducts research for a wide range of US and international clients, including governments, foundations, and corporations. CAPP’s mission is to improve policy determination by providing decision-makers and the public with rigorous, objective, cutting-edge research on critical policy challenges facing Asia and US-Asia relations. The Foundation provided funding over the past three years to support CAPP’s various research projects.
CAPP’s research falls into three substantive areas: 1) International Relations, with a focus on major strategic and diplomatic trends in Asia, 2) International Political Economy, which studies trade, investment and macroeconomic trends in the Asia-Pacific region, 3) Human Capital Issues with an emphasis on demography, education and healthcare.
The Tang Institute for U.S.-China Relations
In 2007, the Foundation has provided funds to establish the Tang Institute for U.S.-China Relations. The Institute will conduct research on such issues as trade and investment, intellectual property, manufacturing and division of labor, currency, and China’s relations with its neighbors. CAPP will provide the necessary staffing for the projects, which will be funded by the Foundation.
Stanford University – Rural Education Action Project
In August 2007, Stanford University’s Rural Education Action Project approached the Foundation with a proposal to objectively analyze the results of the Cyrus Tang CompassionateHeart Scholarship program. This is to be a collaborative effort by institutions in the US and in China. On the US side, participants included the Stanford University’s Rural Education Action Project and the Cyrus Tang Foundation (our sister foundation); and from China, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xian Jiaotong University and Northwest (Xibei) University. The project involves conducting surveys and interviews with scholarship recipients and other students, at the beginning of their academic year, to determine their backgrounds and values, their viewpoints and aspirations, and their understanding of community involvement. A follow-up survey will be conducted at the conclusion of the academic year to note changes in perspective, opinions and goals. The findings also will be analyzed for differences in personal values, self-esteem and academic results among the various test groups. The results, and recommendations for possible changes to the scholarship program, will be disseminated to academia and the relevant government bodies.
The Cyrus Tang CompasionateHeart Scholarship is one of the China programs administered by the Cyrus Tang Foundation and is given to middle and high school students who have demonstrated caring for others, honor and respect for parents and elders, industriousness and thrift, in addition to diligence at school. Fellow students anonymously vote candidates for the award. The scholarship recipients will then organize a CompassionateHeart Team at their respective schools to carry out community service work and through that, develop at an early age the spirit of helping others.
Stanford University’s Rural Education Action Project (“REAP”) is an on-going research and development project undertaken by the University’s Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (“APARC”) (http://aparc.stanford.edu). REAP is a joint effort between university faculty based at APARC and the Stanford School of Education (and their collaborators in China). REAP’s objective is to understand the different types of interventions that can enhance the educational opportunities of poor, rural students and minimize the financial burden that education places on students and their families. APARC conducts multidisciplinary research projects in which Stanford faculty members collaborate with American and Asian colleagues to conduct studies covering a broad range of topics involving Northeast, Southeast, and South Asia.
Committee of 100
This is a national non-partisan organization of US citizens of Chinese descent who pool their strengths and expertise to address important issues concerning the Chinese-American community, as well as issues affecting US-China relations. Members come from diverse backgrounds and have achieved leadership positions in a broad range of professions. The Foundation has made donations to support operating expenses.
The Asia Society – Southern California Center
Founded in 1956 by John D Rockefeller III, the Society is a non-partisan, nonprofit international organization dedicated to strengthening relationships and deepening understanding among the peoples of Asia and the US. The society is headquartered in New York, and has regional centers in several Asian and US cities, including Los Angeles.
The Southern California Center’s signature initiative is the Business Leadership Forum. The forum is made up of a select group of business leaders active in US-China-India trade and relations. It serves as a place to exchange ideas and build relationships, to allow for direct interaction in the US among business leaders from different countries and a venue where leading American CEOs can establish meaningful dialogue with current and future leaders in China and India. The Foundation has provided funds to support the activities of the Southern California Center.
Across the Pacific: Understanding China through the Lens of Education
Students in the United States, especially those in high school, have little understanding of China. Why is this? For one thing, China is currently undergoing a very complex and sometimes hectic transformation. All developed countries have undergone this process, including the US, but in China it is occurring very rapidly and on an unprecedented scale. What is more, news media coverage of China remains largely inaccessible to young Americans because it is largely targeted at adult populations, and can sometimes be politicized.
This project aims to bridge this gap in understanding by developing a high school curriculum for US high schools that focuses on education in China. Education is a useful point of departure for the curriculum because it is a subject that resonates with young people who are themselves progressing through school. In addition, the changes in China’s education system reflect broader development processes underway throughout the country. Learning about education in China can therefore allow US students to achieve a nuanced perspective on the country and its development in a way that is easy to identify with. The curriculum will include multimedia materials, real world case studies, interviews, comparative context, and professional curriculum design. Our ultimate goal in developing this curriculum is to foster better relations and deeper understanding between the people of China and the people of the US.