You are invited to “Bridging Cultures: Education and Entrepreneurship on a Global Stage”, on July 30, at the Columbia Global Center | Beijing. Join us for an academic discussion on how education and entrepreneurship are being used to bring people together to create a global channel for innovation and development. There will be a special focus on China’s relations with countries across the African continent. 

Our speakers represent a diversity of experiences and backgrounds, including founders of non-profits and social enterprises, as well as specialists in development and education. The event will include speaker introductions, a panel discussion, lunch networking, and break out focus groups led by students and mentors from AIC Education’s China Ghana Changemaker Program.

Agenda:

• 10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.: Event Registration
• 10:30 a.m. – 10:40 a.m.: Welcome Address
• 10:40 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.: Philanthropy and Education in Modern China, Zhang Chen, CEO and Founder of AIC Education, Columbia Alumnus
• 11:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.: Speaker Introductions
• 11:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.: Speaker Panel Discussions
• 12:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.: Lunch Break
•  1:00 p.m. –3:00 p.m.: Focus Discussion Groups

This event is open to the public and will be conducted in English. High school students are especially encouraged to attend. Seating and focus groups will be prioritized for high school students. Please visit here for more information.

Panelist Introductions: 

1. Chen Zhang 

Mr. Zhang started AIC Education in 2004, upon graduating from Columbia University. In 2007, Mr. Zhang published his first book, “Your Key to Harvard”, with the intention of providing the most accurate information and understanding for U.S. education and college admissions. Over the span of twelve years, Mr. Zhang has built AIC Education to be at the forefront of admissions consulting, and personally mentored over 350 students. Currently, Mr. Zhang ambitions to provide pioneering education programs that can better help China’s youth better achieve self-actualization to support the growth of China’s, as well as the world’s, economic and societal needs.

2. Tawanda Michael Mahere

Tawanda Michael Mahere is the Emerging Markets Manager at Jide Technology, a software startup that is pioneering Android PCs. Previously, he managed Beijing Tech Hive, a weekend startup accelerator that helps internationally-minded entrepreneurs raise early-stage venture capital, recruit talent and find mentorship through community events. He ran a career development program for African graduates with China experience through the Kenya-based Sino-Africa Center of Excellence Foundation and is former Youth Mayor of Harare, the capital city of Zimbabwe. Tawanda holds an Electronic and Information Engineering degree from Beihang University and studied advanced Mandarin at Tianjin University.

3. Lisa Qin

Lisa Qin works in international development and was previously a corporate attorney and high school teacher.  Her focus is on improving outcomes for children through education and cross-cultural communication and engagement, having studied and worked in five countries.  Lisa holds an Ed.M in International Education Policy (Harvard) and M.Teach in Secondary Teaching (University of Melbourne).  She speaks in her personal capacity.

4. Eke Agbai

Eke Agbai received his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Maryland Baltimore County and his Master’s degree in Public Administration with a focus on International Development from Tsinghua University. He founded the iLEAD (i. Learn. Engage. Adapt. Disrupt) an initiative aiming to create a space where Africans can collectively acquire technological and entrepreneurial skills via MOOC platforms in the goal of generating a product-solution for a predetermined and measurable problem. He is the co-creator of the I-mentor, a project which seeks to match young people in Nigeria with willing mentors based on specified interests and ambitions. Eke is a member of the TEDxBeijing team. He considers himself a learner, a thinktivist, and an addicted user of the design thinking process.

5. Andrew Shirman

Andrew is a Beijing-based social entrepreneur who is the CEO and Founder of the NGO Education In Sight, and the Co-Founder of the buy-one-donate-one eyewear brand Mantra. Andrew grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, and was educated at Boston College. After graduating in 2010 with a degree in philosophy, he left the U.S. to join Teach For China, then only in its second year. As a teacher in rural Yunnan, he saw the every day struggles of his students, especially those who suffered from poor vision and couldn’t see in class. This pushed him to start the non-profit, Education In Sight, whose vision is a world where every student has the eyeglasses they need to see clearly and succeed. He is currently based in Beijing where he leads Education In Sight, and is a Co-Founder of Mantra. Andrew is also a Global Shaper, an initiative of the World Economic Forum, and an advisory board member to the UNDP China Innovation Group.