Since the late 1940s, U.S.-China relations have transitioned from tense stalemates to a combination of diplomacy, intertwined economies and growing international rivalry. But where do we stand now?

If you’ve kept your finger on the pulse of current international events, you’ve likely noticed a rapidly-changing dynamic. To learn more about what’s happening, tune in to the first installment of Rowan College at Burlington County’s “Global Studies Lecture Series” on Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 5 pm via this Webex link. This event “A New Era of US-China Rivalry: Causes and Consequences,” features University of Pennsylvania’s David M. Knott Professor of Global Politics and International Relations, Dr. Avery Goldstein. He will speak with RCBC Instructor and Program Coordinator of Sociology and Anthropology, Dr. Brandon M. Chapman, about recent trends in U.S.-China relations and rivalry and how this relates to global security and conflict. 

RCBC’s “Global Studies Lecture Series” aims to bring world-renowned scholars and researchers to the college to engage and discuss with students and the public crucial and current issues in global security, conflict, health and environment. This initiative is supported by a recent U.S. Department of Education grant that will enable RCBC to establish a Global Studies degree designation, including the addition of a Global Studies course and high-demand language courses, such as Arabic and Chinese.

Having spent a decades-long career studying and authoring journal articles and books on Chinese politics, strategy and international security, Goldstein is well-versed in U.S.-China relations. He’s also served as the Inaugural Director of the Center for the Study of Contemporary China and is a Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute in Philadelphia.

This initiative also includes a global film series that begins at 5 pm on Monday, Nov. 16 with a viewing and discussion of “Sunflower” (original Chinese title “Xiang Ri Kui”), a 2005 Chinese language film, which portrays the relationship over a multi-decade period of a father and son during and in the aftermath of Mao’s Cultural Revolution of the mid-twentieth century. The film and discussion will be conducted via this Webex link.