A Message from 

Amy Gutmann, President
Vincent Price, Provost
Geoffrey Garrett, Dean of the Wharton School

We are pleased to invite the University community to join us in celebrating the opening of the Penn Wharton China Center in Beijing -- the natural next step in the University’s longstanding engagement with China and East Asia.

Located in the Central Business District of Beijing, the Center will be a vibrant hub for the exchange of knowledge between China and Penn’s faculty, students, alumni, and friends. It will serve as a bridge between Penn and China, facilitating bilateral collaboration and advancing the University’s commitment to inclusion, innovation, and impact at the local, national, and global levels as described in Penn Compact 2020, our vision for the future of Penn. 

The grand opening of the Penn Wharton China Center will occur over a period of six months, beginning in March 2015 and ending in September 2015.  The highlights of this exciting series of events include:

1. The March Launch focuses on Penn’s academic engagement, emphasizing the depth of our involvement in China and the breadth of interdisciplinary knowledge across campus. Penn will host a series of academic symposia at the Center featuring Penn faculty experts and partners from the academic, government, and private sectors in China.  Penn Provost Vincent Price will lead a delegation that includes Vice Provost for Global Initiatives Ezekiel Emanuel, Wharton Dean Geoffrey Garrett, and Deans from six other schools at Penn.

Of Special Interest:

• A Provosts’ Roundtable with Chinese universities on issues facing higher education

• Wharton-moderated panels on China’s role in the global economy

• Discussions examining the political, social, and legal dynamics facing China and the world

• Sessions with Penn Deans on the future of their fields, especially at the intersection of interdisciplinary education and global engagement

• An Open House and Reception for alumni, family, and friends

2. The “First 100 Days”  will showcase the depth and breadth of Penn’s programming in China through a series of events in the months following the March Launch, including academic conferences, a Wharton Global Modular Course for current Wharton students, alumni events, and professional development sessions hosted by a wide range of Penn Schools.  A full list of programs can be found here.

3.   President Amy Gutmann will host a Center Dedication and Gala Celebration on September 10 to highlight Penn’s engagement in China as a defining element of the Penn Compact 2020.  The Dedication and Celebration will feature a formal program at the PWCC, a forum featuring global thinkers addressing critical contemporary challenges, and other academic and VIP events.  Dr. Gutmann welcomes all Penn faculty, alumni, friends and family to Beijing to celebrate the Penn Wharton China Center and mark this new era in our history as a leading global research university – and the latest chapter in Benjamin Franklin’s visionary experiment in higher education.  

Invitations to, and more details on, these exciting events will be forthcoming. 

For more information on the Penn Wharton China Center, please visit the website at http://pwcc.upenn.edu.