Voices of the Belt and Road Podcast: Understand the Impact of China on the World

See the video here: www.beltandroad.ventures/podcasts Ankur Shah (安然) is a Yenching Scholar at Peking University and National Geographic's Young Explorer. He earned a degree in Chinese and Russian from the University of Edinburgh. During his studies, he spent 15 months living between Sichuan and St Petersburg and worked on the Trans-Siberian Express from Moscow to Vladivostok. Afterward, Ankur worked at UNESCO's headquarters in Paris on the organization's Silk Road Online Platform. The desire to explore saw Ankur partake in a 23,000km Silk Road expedition, sponsored by the National Geographic, driving from Venice to Xi'an. Ankur spent 4 months retracing the footsteps of Marco Polo across 16 Silk Road countries, researching China's Belt and Road initiative, interviewing key stakeholders and visiting 16 Belt and Road projects across Eurasia. Following the expedition, Ankur returned to London and worked as an analyst at a leading political risk consultancy in the firm's Former Soviet Union team. Now based in Beijing, Ankur is researching the Sino-Russian strategic partnership, and more specifically, how the BRI will collaborate and compete with the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union. On this podcast, Ankur Shah shares his observations from his visits to Belt and Road Project's sites and stories from his expedition following footsteps of Marco Polo along the Silk Road.

On this podcast, Tim Luan discusses ZhongGuanCun and Innoway's role in supporting entrepreneurs and innovation (both local and international) in China including what it takes to be successful as an entrepreneur in China.

Tim Luan 栾天 is currently the Head of the Global Incubator 全球孵化业务总监 at Innoway 中关村创业大街 – the major landmark for innovation and entrepreneurship in the heart of Zhongguancun. Prior, he covered the role of Strategy Department Director at 36Kr incubator. He has been actively involved in the startup business since 2011 and he is one of the key figures in bringing together startups and corporations, by working closely with – to name a few - Intel, Haier, Orange, Baidu. Tim studied and worked in Canada and Europe for 15 years and has been a mentor and a judge for several national and international startup competitions. He is currently focusing on assisting international startups interested in entering the Chinese market, leveraging his extensive national and international network. Last but not least, a martial arts expert is hidden behind his calm and friendly personality! On this podcast, Tim Luan discusses ZhongGuanCun and Innoway's role in supporting entrepreneurs and innovation (both local and international) in China including what it takes to be successful as an entrepreneur in China.

On this podcast, Shada Islam, the Director of Europe and Geopolitics at Friends of Europe, an influential think tank based in Brussels, and a Professor at College of Europe, discusses Sino-European relations and the European Union's perspective on the Belt and Road Initiative.

On this podcast, Shada Islam, the Director of Europe and Geopolitics at Friends of Europe, an influential think tank based in Brussels, and a Professor at College of Europe, discusses Sino-European relations and the European Union's perspective on the Belt and Road Initiative.

In this podcast, Beijing-based commentator and professor Harvey Dzodin talks about how China is struggling with leveraging its soft power and offers plenty of examples and advice of how China could "win the hearts and minds" of the people of the various countries of the Belt and Road.

In this podcast, Beijing-based commentator and professor Harvey Dzodin talks about how China is struggling with leveraging its soft power and offers plenty of examples and advice of how China could "win the hearts and minds" of the people of the various countries of the Belt and Road.

On this podcast, Professor Liu provides an overview of China-CEE relations and evaluates the efficiency of the controversial 16+1 China-CEE Cooperation. He also puts his remarks in a wider context of China-Europe engagement under the BRI.

On this podcast, Professor Liu provides an overview of China-CEE relations and evaluates the efficiency of the controversial 16+1 China-CEE Cooperation. He also puts his remarks in a wider context of China-Europe engagement under the BRI.

On this podcast, Francesco Lorenzini, a founder of TechSilu, a group dedicated to empowering the cooperation between Chinese and South-European tech ecosystems, discusses the opportunities offered by Chinese market to startups coming from Belt and Road countries. Francesco also talks about the experience of running a company focused on connecting foreign countries with the Chinese market. He offers insights into challenges that have to be taken into account when making a decision to enter the Chinese market and provides an overview of institutions that can help in this process. https://bit.ly/2OyYT8Y

On this podcast, Francesco Lorenzini, a founder of TechSilu, a group dedicated to empowering the cooperation between Chinese and South-European tech ecosystems, discusses the opportunities offered by Chinese market to startups coming from Belt and Road countries. Francesco also talks about the experience of running a company focused on connecting foreign countries with the Chinese market. He offers insights into challenges that have to be taken into account when making a decision to enter the Chinese market and provides an overview of institutions that can help in this process.

On this podcast, Francesco Lorenzini, a founder of TechSilu, a group dedicated to empowering the cooperation between Chinese and South-European tech ecosystems, discusses the opportunities offered by Chinese market to startups coming from Belt and Road countries. Francesco also talks about the experience of running a company focused on connecting foreign countries with the Chinese market. He offers insights into challenges that have to be taken into account when making a decision to enter the Chinese market and provides an overview of institutions that can help in this process. https://bit.ly/2OyYT8Y

In this podcast, Martin Jacques, best-selling author of When China Rules the World, talks about how he sees China's Belt & Road Initiative as the driver of China's economic growth and geopolitical influence over the next 50 years. https://bit.ly/2OyYT8Y Martin is a Senior Fellow at the Department of Politics and International Studies, Cambridge University, and a Visiting Professor at Tsinghua University, Beijing. He is also a fellow of the Transatlantic Academy, Washington DC. He was until recently a Senior Visiting Research Fellow at IDEAS, a center for diplomacy and grand strategy at the London School of Economics.

In this podcast, Martin Jacques, best-selling author of When China Rules the World, talks about how he sees China's Belt & Road Initiative as the driver of China's economic growth and geopolitical influence over the next 50 years. https://bit.ly/2OyYT8Y Martin is a Senior Fellow at the Department of Politics and International Studies, Cambridge University, and a Visiting Professor at Tsinghua University, Beijing. He is also a fellow of the Transatlantic Academy, Washington DC. He was until recently a Senior Visiting Research Fellow at IDEAS, a center for diplomacy and grand strategy at the London School of Economics.

In this podcast, Sebastian Murdoch-Gibson, a research fellow at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada discusses the 'Polar Silk Road' and its potential consequences for the Arctic and Nordic countries. He also talks about his travels, where he met a wide variety of actors who are involved with proposed Belt and Road projects including a former tech entrepreneur and creator of Angry Birds who wants to link Helsinki and Tallinn via a undersea tunnel.

In this podcast, Sebastian Murdoch-Gibson, a research fellow at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada discusses the 'Polar Silk Road' and its potential consequences for the Arctic and Nordic countries. He also talks about his travels, where he met a wide variety of actors who are involved with proposed Belt and Road projects including a former tech entrepreneur and creator of Angry Birds who wants to link Helsinki and Tallinn via a undersea tunnel.

In this podcast, Harriet Kariuki, a young analyst from Kenya who works at an investment firm in the region talks about China-Africa relations in the context of the Belt and Road Initiative. This includes topics such as Chinese investments in the Horn of Africa, the current debt build-up, the African startup scene, as well as integration amongst Chinese and Africans.

In this podcast, Harriet Kariuki, a young analyst from Kenya who works at an investment firm in the region talks about China-Africa relations in the context of the Belt and Road Initiative. This includes topics such as Chinese investments in the Horn of Africa, the current debt build-up, the African startup scene, as well as integration amongst Chinese and Africans.

In this podcast, Professor Chen Dongmin, the Dean of School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Peking University and a serial entrepreneur, who co-founded two Silicon Valley companies, discusses the impact of Chinese innovation and blockchain technologies on the future of the Belt and Road Initiative. Professor Chen also talks about the importance of fostering entrepreneurial education and supporting small and medium enterprises in making BRI succeed.

In this podcast, Professor Chen Dongmin, the Dean of School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Peking University and a serial entrepreneur, who co-founded two Silicon Valley companies, discusses the impact of Chinese innovation and blockchain technologies on the future of the Belt and Road Initiative. Professor Chen also talks about the importance of fostering entrepreneurial education and supporting small and medium enterprises in making BRI succeed.

In this podcast, world renowned Law Scholar Don Lewis discusses some of the distinctive features of China's legal system, what is meant by the Belt and Road Legal "Architecture," including in relation to the Cyber/Digital Silk Road, and the resounding impacts which BRI is bringing to the world of international arbitration and dispute resolution generally, with special reference to the recent inauguration by the Supreme People's Court of the China International Commercial Courts in Xi'an and Shenzhen – the Silk Road Courts.

In this podcast, world renowned Law Scholar Don Lewis discusses some of the distinctive features of China's legal system, what is meant by the Belt and Road Legal "Architecture," including in relation to the Cyber/Digital Silk Road, and the resounding impacts which BRI is bringing to the world of international arbitration and dispute resolution generally, with special reference to the recent inauguration by the Supreme People's Court of the China International Commercial Courts in Xi'an and Shenzhen – the Silk Road Courts.

Chris Devonshire-Ellis is the Chairman and Founding Partner of Dezan Shira & Associates, a foreign investment focused professional services firm he established 26 years ago. The practice now has 28 offices across ten countries throughout Asia, and was one of the first firms to research and offer services across China's Belt & Road reach. Chris speaks fluent Mandarin and Russian and is also a Professor of Practice at the Higher School of Economics in St. Petersburg.

Chris Devonshire-Ellis is the Chairman and Founding Partner of Dezan Shira & Associates, a foreign investment focused professional services firm he established 26 years ago. The practice now has 28 offices across ten countries throughout Asia, and was one of the first firms to research and offer services across China's Belt & Road reach. Chris speaks fluent Mandarin and Russian and is also a Professor of Practice at the Higher School of Economics in St. Petersburg.

Back in 2013 Manchester took a new and innovative approach to increase its commercial connectivity with China by establishing a unique vehicle to lead its China engagement strategy: the Manchester China Forum. Core to the Forum's focus has been recognition of the importance that improved connectivity with China plays in delivering broader economic benefits to Manchester. Rhys has been Executive Director for the Manchester China Forum since its inception in 2013. His role involves oversight of the city's broader strategic engagement with China. Since the organization launched five years ago, Rhys has overseen a period of unprecedented growth in Chinese inward investment as well as the establishment of two new direct routes which have significantly enhanced the region's economic interaction with China. He also played an integral role in the visit of President Xi to the city in 2015. As an advanced-level speaker of Mandarin, Rhys previously worked in China for almost nine years. From his previous positions as the Head of Business Development and China Desk at the International property firm Jones Lang LaSalle in Beijing, and former Business Manager for the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China; Rhys has brought a wealth of experience to lead the Forum in realizing these objectives.

Back in 2013 Manchester took a new and innovative approach to increase its commercial connectivity with China by establishing a unique vehicle to lead its China engagement strategy: the Manchester China Forum. Core to the Forum's focus has been recognition of the importance that improved connectivity with China plays in delivering broader economic benefits to Manchester. Rhys has been Executive Director for the Manchester China Forum since its inception in 2013. His role involves oversight of the city's broader strategic engagement with China. Since the organization launched five years ago, Rhys has overseen a period of unprecedented growth in Chinese inward investment as well as the establishment of two new direct routes which have significantly enhanced the region's economic interaction with China. He also played an integral role in the visit of President Xi to the city in 2015. As an advanced-level speaker of Mandarin, Rhys previously worked in China for almost nine years. From his previous positions as the Head of Business Development and China Desk at the International property firm Jones Lang LaSalle in Beijing, and former Business Manager for the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China; Rhys has brought a wealth of experience to lead the Forum in realizing these objectives.

Oyuna Baldakova is a Ph.D. Candidate at the Graduate School of East Asian Studies at the Free University of Berlin and a fellow of the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG). Her research focus is China's Belt and Road Initiative and its potential consequences for the sustainable economic development of Central Asia. Oyuna comes from Buryatia (Russian Siberia) and have been living in Germany for the past seven years. She has completed her Bachelor's degree in Linguistics (English and Chinese) at Buryat State University (Russia) and holds MA in Modern East Asian Studies from Goethe University Frankfurt (Germany) for which she was awarded a scholarship from the DAAD - German Academic Exchange Service. After that, she worked in the field of international development interning at UNESCO Bangkok, managing an EU-funded project in Central Asia, and running communications as vice-chair of the International Organization of Folk Art (IOV) World Youth Committee for a two-year term. She speaks fluent English, Chinese, German and Russian.

Oyuna Baldakova is a Ph.D. Candidate at the Graduate School of East Asian Studies at the Free University of Berlin and a fellow of the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG). Her research focus is China's Belt and Road Initiative and its potential consequences for the sustainable economic development of Central Asia. Oyuna comes from Buryatia (Russian Siberia) and have been living in Germany for the past seven years. She has completed her Bachelor's degree in Linguistics (English and Chinese) at Buryat State University (Russia) and holds MA in Modern East Asian Studies from Goethe University Frankfurt (Germany) for which she was awarded a scholarship from the DAAD - German Academic Exchange Service. After that, she worked in the field of international development interning at UNESCO Bangkok, managing an EU-funded project in Central Asia, and running communications as vice-chair of the International Organization of Folk Art (IOV) World Youth Committee for a two-year term. She speaks fluent English, Chinese, German and Russian.

Andy is the founder of Red Pagoda Resources, which invests in and provides professional services to startups in China. He has lived in Greater China for more than a decade, working primarily in private equity where he conducted operational and financial due diligence on acquisition candidates in healthcare, media and real estate for a prominent Hong Kong family. Andy also helped set up and run joint ventures in the PRC including serving as finance and accounting director for a joint venture with one of the largest airlines in the PRC. He also spent two years at the RAND Corp where he conducted research on the impact of technology on China's financial system and helped publish "The United States and a Rising China: Strategic and Military Implications". Andy holds an MBA from the Wharton School and an MA in China Studies from the Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies where he was awarded the Loe Fellowship for Excellence in China Studies. He is also a CPA and has an undergraduate degree in Accounting from the University of Maryland.

Andy is the founder of Red Pagoda Resources, which invests in and provides professional services to startups in China. He has lived in Greater China for more than a decade, working primarily in private equity where he conducted operational and financial due diligence on acquisition candidates in healthcare, media and real estate for a prominent Hong Kong family. Andy also helped set up and run joint ventures in the PRC including serving as finance and accounting director for a joint venture with one of the largest airlines in the PRC. He also spent two years at the RAND Corp where he conducted research on the impact of technology on China's financial system and helped publish "The United States and a Rising China: Strategic and Military Implications". Andy holds an MBA from the Wharton School and an MA in China Studies from the Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies where he was awarded the Loe Fellowship for Excellence in China Studies. He is also a CPA and has an undergraduate degree in Accounting from the University of Maryland.

Xu Wenhong is Associate Professor at the Institute of Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS). He is also the Deputy Secretary General of the Belt and Road Center at CASS. The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) is the premier academic organization and comprehensive research center of the People's Republic of China in the fields of philosophy and social sciences. Professor Xu speaks Chinese, English, and Russian fluently and his research focus is Sino-Russian economic cooperation. He has visited over 20 countries as part of his work and has published widely on the impact of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). In this podcast, Professor Xu discusses how China and Russia can collaborate under the BRI. In particular, he discusses how China's deindustrializing North East provinces (Dongbei) can benefit from such collaboration.

Xu Wenhong is Associate Professor at the Institute of Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS). He is also the Deputy Secretary General of the Belt and Road Center at CASS. The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) is the premier academic organization and comprehensive research center of the People's Republic of China in the fields of philosophy and social sciences. Professor Xu speaks Chinese, English, and Russian fluently and his research focus is Sino-Russian economic cooperation. He has visited over 20 countries as part of his work and has published widely on the impact of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). In this podcast, Professor Xu discusses how China and Russia can collaborate under the BRI. In particular, he discusses how China's deindustrializing North East provinces (Dongbei) can benefit from such collaboration.

William Suen is a Chinese citizen who speaks fluent English. He has an in-depth understanding of the Chinese Economy and large project management. William worked in the energy industry for more than 10 years including stints at major Chinese oil companies, an Energy Policy Adviser for a European Governmental Organization and Regional Chief Executive of an international Oil Gas Technical Service Company. His experiences have given him a good understanding of the Western way of thinking and he excels in managing projects involving cooperation between the West and China.

William Suen is a Chinese citizen who speaks fluent English. He has an in-depth understanding of the Chinese Economy and large project management. William worked in the energy industry for more than 10 years including stints at major Chinese oil companies, an Energy Policy Adviser for a European Governmental Organization and Regional Chief Executive of an international Oil Gas Technical Service Company. His experiences have given him a good understanding of the Western way of thinking and he excels in managing projects involving cooperation between the West and China. Concerned about the smog in Beijing and adverse health effects it was having on his family, in 2014, William Suen relocated to Hainan and started his new business in driving worldwide partnership in the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Community. After five years working closely with the Hainan Provincial Government, worldwide entrepreneurs, and startups; William Suen is one of the most well-connected and active proponents for Hainan Free Trade Zone and its ever-improving environment for both Chinese and international businesses. Currently based in Hainan, William Suen is married with two sons. He is frequently invited to be a keynote speaker in many events worldwide (he has traveled to over 50 countries to date) and also acts as coach and advisor for Chinese and international organizations.