On day two of this year’s Project Pengyou Leadership Training Summit, we had the privilege of listening to Pulitzer prize-winning correspondent and former Shanghai Bureau Chief of the New York Times, David Barboza.

His wealth of knowledge and rich stories of his time in China added depth to the training, and the Fellows, all aspiring bridge-builders, were able to ask questions to gain insight into what such a career in journalism might be like. Mr. Barboza spoke to us off the record, so we will not share any of his quotes or stories here, however, he shared with us many of the tips and tricks he used to complete the investigative journalism that won him the Pulitzer prize during his time in China. (You can read that story here: Billions in Hidden Riches for Family of Chinese Leader)

As Barboza spoke to us of his dogged pursuit of truth, often involving many obstacles and setbacks, we were all impressed by his obvious commitment to integrity and his strong ethical considerations. It was clear to us that this is a person who not only cares about uncovering the truth but also deeply cares about China and U.S.-China relations.

We want to express our gratitude to Mr. Barboza for sharing your wisdom and personal experiences. They were truly inspirational, and it’s encouraging to see how bridge-building in action can create a positive ripple effect, in this case encouraging future US-China watchers and budding journalists that their dreams are within reach.

About the Speaker:

David Barboza is a correspondent and former Shanghai Bureau Chief for the New York Times. In 2013, Mr. Barboza was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting “for his striking exposure of corruption at high levels of the Chinese government, including billions in secret wealth owned by relatives of the prime minister, well-documented work published in the face of heavy pressure from the Chinese officials.” He was also part of the team that won the Pulitzer Prize for explanatory reporting. Mr. Barboza was a freelance writer and a research assistant for The New York Times before being hired in 1997 as a staff writer. For five years, he was the Midwest business correspondent based in Chicago. From 2008 to 2015, he served as the paper’s Shanghai bureau chief. Mr. Barboza won two awards in The Society of American Business Editors and Writers (SABEW) 2007 Best in Business Journalism Contest, one for a New York Times article, “A Chinese Reformer Betrays His Cause, and Pays.” He was also part of the team that won the 2008 Grantham Prize for environmental reporting for the series “Choking on Growth: China’s Environmental Crisis.” In 2002, he was part of a team that was named a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the Enron scandal. In 2008, Mr. Barboza won The Times’s internal business award, the Nathaniel Nash Award. He has twice won the Gerald Loeb Award for business reporting. Mr. Barboza graduated from Boston University with a bachelor’s degree in history and attended Yale University for Graduate school.

For more photos highlights, see our photo album from the 2017 Leadership Training Summit!