Profile: Shen Dingli, ’97, China
January 2008
“To improve my country and the world. To bring hope and happiness to all. Do the day's work…Life-long habit, no change.” This is what Dr. Shen Dingli thinks about every morning when he wakes up.
As the Director for the Center for American Studies at Fudan University, Dr. Shen carries on the Center’s mission to bridge the gap of perceptions between China and the U.S., with an individual focus on political and security issues. As the Executive Dean at the Institute of International Studies, he develops and leads an ambitious and ever expanding institution on international study and China’s foreign policy, at one of the most prestigious Chinese universities. Before this, he was the university’s Director of Foreign Affairs Office and Deputy Director of Office of Development and Research, where he was answerable to all foreign affairs and strategic development of the university.
Through his fellowship, Dr. Shen strengthened many relationships that he had developed throughout the years. Dr. Shen was highly sought after while in the U.S. and delivered upwards of 10 formal presentations, and was also a panelist at three international security conferences. Key meetings for him were held largely in the U.S. government (including members of the House National Security Committee; high-ranking officials at the Departments of Defense, State, and Energy, the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, and the National Security Council); as well as with independent and university-based security programs (including the Atlantic Council, Natural Resources Defense Council, Federation of American Scientists, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Princeton University Center for Energy and Environmental Studies, Monterey Institute of International Studies, and MIT’s International Science and Technology Initiative) and government-supported laboratories (Livermore, Los Alamos, Sandia).
In his final report from 1997, Dr. Shen stated, "Through the opening seminar, through the whole trip, I have reinforced my impression of the importance of the building blocks of the American institution: democracy and rule of law. These are exactly what my country needs to build a prosperous and healthy system. China is doing these with a managed pace compatible to its economic and social development. Hopefully more will come. Due to the difference of cultural and historical background, nevertheless, the exact route China will choose in this direction can be different from others to various degrees at a given time. I sense an individual's responsibility to help China embark on a more successful course of such, and to continuously help bridge the mutual understanding and accommodating between the two countries, based on my own improved and improving understanding of China and United States."
In a 2002 survey, Dr. Shen offered an idea as to how the Fellowship affects one’s career. “In this country,” he said, “the advancement of the Fellows' career may be understood this way: You are a fellow, you have the quality to be a leader, and you know how to achieve leadership in your profession. Therefore you have better chances to be successful. And to be selected would mean the recognition of one's achievements, and a prediction or expectation that the fellow will attain a higher importance at a late stage.” That same year, he was invited to advise Kofi Annan on strategic planning for his second term as U.N. Secretary General along with other leading thinkers in the fields of economics, sustainable development, conflict prevention, and democratization.
Even though Eisenhower Fellowships is not widely known in China, Dr. Shen feels the fellowship offered him prestige, helped him gain respect from his peers and developed a higher sense of confidence. In the time since his fellowship, he has been invited to editorial boards of eight international journals and eight Chinese journals and he has raised five million Chinese yuans for his research (roughly $680, 000 USD). Because of his research and publication, Chinese government has planned to initiate a China Export Control and Nonproliferation Center at Fudan University and is approaching him to lead it.
Occasionally, he is able to meet with alumni Fellows in China to keep networking. He also enjoys meeting with current USA Fellows who visit China. He has also been able to attend some EF-related events, such as a regional conference in Japan (Tokyo/Kyoto) and the 50th Anniversary conference in Philadelphia.
In his spare time, Dr. Shen enjoys writing (he published 180 pieces in 2007), reading, thinking, buying books, and collecting stamps.
