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Please visit our Calendar section for upcoming events
Past Events in 2007
FCC Christmas Party
Yuletide cheer and conversation
Dinner: 6.30-9.30pm; Party: 9.30-midnight, Saturday 8 December, Casa 13
About the event:
Come join us for a cup of grog (or an entire meal!) in celebration of another year in China. Casa 13, (the latest addition to the Eduardo Vargas restaurant family) has offered the FCC's members and their guests a sumptuous spread in a cozy atmosphere. If you cannot join us for the dinner, please still come by later for the party to follow!
Event details:
When: Saturday, December 8, 6.30pm-midnight
Where: Casa 13, 1100 Huashan Lu near Xinguo Lu
Price: FCC Members RMB 200; Non-Members RMB 300
RSVP: by Thurs, December 6 to Jessie at fcc.sfcc(at)gmail.com
Labour Law and the Media
A talk by Ralph Koppitz
7pm, Wednesday 12 December, Deke Erh Art Center
About the event:
This is event is only open for journalist members.Many journalist are wondering what the new labour contract law will mean
for foreign companies in China and themselves. Some give dire warnings, like the China Law Blog: "Everything is going to change on January 1, 2008, for employers in China. Well almost everything. That is the day China's new labor law goes into effect and if you have employees in China (especially if you "unofficially" have
employees in China), you absolutely must take various steps to get into compliance AND to avoid being sued. And you better start taking those steps now." Others are more calm and points out that the law is not very different neither from European laws or, indeed, the current Chinese labour law that's been in place since 1995.
About the speaker:
Ralph Koppitz has been practicing law in China for more than 11 years. He is a partner and China Chief Rep. for Taylor Wessing, one of Europe's leading business law firms which has been in since Shanghai 1996.
Event details:
When: Wednesday, December 12, 7pm
Where:Deke Erh Art Center, 2B, Lane 210 Taikang Road (Tel: 6415 0675)
Price: FCC Journalist Members free
RSVP: by Tue, December 11 to Jessie at fcc.sfcc(at)gmail.com
Fraud, Theft and Due Diligence in the Wild East
A talk by Jay J. Hoenig
7pm, Monday 3 December, MoCA Shanghai
About the event:
Foreign companies in China complain about being tricked and robbed of their trade secrets, but what are they doing in their own companies to stop it? The discussion will cover topics including: due diligence, financial and social compliance, fraud deterrence and investigations, brand protection, copyright, patent and IP theft investigations.
About the speaker:
Jay J. Hoenig has over 35 years experience in providing consulting services to both industry and government on a global basis. He is currently the president of Hill & Associates China - a company specialized in risk management consulting. For 3 of the more than 11 years he's been in China, he has served as Chairman, Vice Chairman, and Secretary of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai. Mr. Hoenig graduated from Virginia Military Institute and attended graduate programs at John Hopkins and Harvard. He received a Presidential Appointment under the Reagan/Bush administration and served in the Department of Defense.
Event details:
When: Monday, December 3, 7pm
Where:MoCA Shanghai, 2/F, inside People's Park, 231 Nanjing Xi Lu, by Huangpi Lu (Tel: 6327 1282)
Price: FCC Members free; Non-Members RMB 50
RSVP: by Sat, December 1 to Jessie at fcc.sfcc(at)gmail.com
Working for a Green China - Lip Service or True Commitment?
A talk by Professor Klaus Toepfer
7pm, Monday 19 November, Mesa
About the event:
China's environmental problems are huge. People suffer from polluted air, poisoned water and soil, environmentally caused diseases. Abroad China is widely held responsible for global warming - in spite of constant claims by the Chinese government to promote environmental protection as a top priority. Professor Klaus Toepfer followed China's development as Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Since he resigned from that post in 2006 he regularly comes to Shanghai as visiting professor at Tongji University, where he teaches several months a year.
About the speaker:
Klaus Toepfer is widely recognized as having spearheaded environmental policy as Minister of Environment in his home country Germany. He actively contributed to the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and was a forerunner in the negotiations for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the establishment of the Global Environment Facility (GEF). Klaus Toepfer believes that environment policy is the peace policy of the future. It is crucial that we create a culture of cooperation and mutual respect between north and south, rich and poor if we want to avoid ever growing tensions in a world where water and other vital resources can no longer be taken for granted. Klaus Toepfer was Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) 1998-2006.
Event details:
When: Monday, November 19, 7pm
Where: 748 Julu Lu, near Fumin Lu (6289 9108)
Price: FCC Members free; Non-Members RMB 70
RSVP: by Sat, November 17 to Jessie at fcc.sfcc(at)gmail.com
Shanghai's Real Estate: Bubble or Balloon?
A talk by Patrick Kelly and Paul Liu
7pm, Monday 12 November, MoCA Shanghai
About the event:
Starting in mid-2005, the PRC government announced regulations intended to cool an apparently overheated property market. In mid-2006, further measures came online, some aiming specifically to slow the flow of foreign capital into the China real estate sector. Shanghai's property market has nonetheless continued to surge. Since December of 2006, housing prices had risen 22% and in August, a site on Nanjing East Road sold for a record high price of 66,930 RMB/SQM. Shanghai's government continues to pursue redevelopment and urban revitalization projects that aim to preserve historic heritage, while upgrading the city's image as a modern metropolis.
In light of the changing regulatory environment, questions abound. What effect, if any, have the new regulations had on the market? How is Shanghai reconciling its municipal aims for growth with national macro-economic policies aiming to slow inflation and ease social tensions? How is the city applying its stated aims of historic preservation with renovation?
About the speakers:
Patrick Kelly is the Director of Commercial, Shanghai for Cushman & Wakefield, one of the major brokerages active in the Shanghai property market.
Paul Liu is the chairman of Axon Concepts, the developer behind the redevelopment of the 1933 Shanghai Abattoir project into a creativity center, part of the 'cluster development' strategy being pursued by the Shanghai authorities. Prior to launching Axon, Paul was the Executive Director of Three on the Bund and participated in the refurbishment and launch of that historic site.
Event details:
When:Monday, November 12, 7pm
Where: MoCA Shanghai, 2/F, inside People's Park, 231 Nanjing Xi Lu, by Huangpi Lu (Tel: 6327 1282)
Price: FCC Members free; Non-Members RMB 50
RSVP: by Sun, November 11 to Jessie at fcc.sfcc(at)gmail.com
Behind the Red Curtain: The Future of Shanghai's Theater Scene
A discussion with William Sun, Nick Yu, and Zhang Xian
7pm, Tuesday 6 November, Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center
About the event:
In the run-up to November's Asian Contemporary Theater Festival (ACT), three of the most dynamic participants in the local drama scene will debate the trends and issues facing Shanghai theater today. ACT director and director of programming at the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center Nick Yu, vice president of the Shanghai Theater Academy William Sun, and director of the Downstream Garage experimental performance space Zhang Xian will discuss issues such as the contemporary theater market and funding; the differences between theater in Beijing and Shanghai; the state of playwriting; good and bad adaptations of western works, and new trends including physical theater, multimedia theater, and 'white collar' theater.
About the speakers:
William Sun Huizhu is the Vice President of the Shanghai Theater Academy. He has a PhD in performance studies from New York University, has taught at Tufts University, California State University, Northridge, and York University, and is a contributing editor to NYU's The Drama Review. His research interests include social performance studies, intercultural theater, and theater narratology. Publications include, The Fourth Wall: Theater in Construction and Whose Madam Butterfly? Conflicts on Stage and Clash of Civilizations. In addition to academic writing, Sun is a noted playwright - his works include The Old B Hanging on the Wall, China Dream, Gods and the Good Woman, and Hedda Gabler.
Nick Yu Rongjun is a playwright, producer, and director of programming and festivals involved in many aspects of Shanghai's theater community. He has authored more than twenty works for stage and screen, notably an adaptation of The Vagina Monologues, WWW.COM, The Taste of Cappuccino, Dog's Face, and Drift, which will be staged at this year's ACT in November. As chief director of the festival and the Shanghai University Theater Festival, Yu has helped to foster young talent and expand Shanghai's theater horizons.
Zhang Xian is the director of the Downstream Garage (Xiahe Micang), which hosts the annual Ideas Festival and the Downstream Garage Fringe Festival. He is a key actor in the development of Shanghai's independent theater scene. Zhang has received several fellowships abroad and has sat on the judges panel of the Zurich Festival and Cairo International Experimental Arts Festival. He's worked as a director and a playwright in the fields of dance, drama, and film and has written and directed 19 works which have been shown in Shanghai, Beijing, and abroad. His physical theater work, Tongue's Memory of Home, won the grand prize at the Zurich Festival.
Event details:
When: Tuesday, November 6, 7pm
Where: Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center, 288 Anfu Lu by Wulumuqi Zhong Lu
Price: FCC Members free; Non-Members RMB 50
RSVP: by Mon, November 5 to Jessie at fcc.sfcc(at)gmail.com
Shanghai, Waiting for Paradise
A film by Sylvie Levey - screening and discussion
7pm, Tuesday 30 October, MoCA Shanghai
About the event:
A first chance to see the latest - and long-awaited - documentary by the FCC's own Sylvie Levey. The result of six years of painstaking filming, Shanghai, Waiting for Paradise follows the lives of the Wang family, three generations living under the same roof in the Old City, as they face the imminent demolition of their house - and dream of a new life. Theirs is a world within a world (a few square meters on a street corner) condemned to vanish in the name of modernization. Awarded a grant by La Sociéte Civile des Auteurs Multimedia (the governmental Copyright Society in France), Shanghai Waiting for Paradise is a remarkable portrait of a family, as they share their views on life, love, and international relations.
About the filmmaker:
Sylvie Levey, a talented and fearless documentary maker, has tackled such issues as SARS, plastic surgery and the One Child Policy and interviewed a range of personalities including Benazir Bhutto and Rajiv Gandhi. Her documentary, The Unique Destiny of Colonel Jin Xing has been broadcast in 20 countries around the world and was awarded by "Prix Spécial du Jury - FIGRA in 2002" and was previously shown by the FCC, as was Levey's award-winning documentary, High Crimes in Shanghai, which offered a rare and probing glimpse behind the doors of a female prison. Shanghai, Waiting for Paradise promises to be equally illuminating.
Event details:
When: Tuesday, October 30, 7pm
Where: MoCA Shanghai, 2/F, inside People's Park, 231 Nanjing Xi Lu, by Huangpi Lu (Tel: 6327 1282)
Price: FCC Members free; Non-Members RMB 50
RSVP: by Mon, October 29 to Jessie at fcc.sfcc(at)gmail.com
Wang Hai
China's most famous consumer advocate
7pm, Monday 3 September, Haworth Creativity Center
About the event:
Deadly cough syrup, toxic baby milk, and only a few days ago in Shanghai - seaweed soaked in a bath of industrial green dye and sulphur dioxide. It's not easy being a consumer in China. Fortunately, there is Wang Hai. Dubbed by Newsweek "the Ralph Nader for the 21st century," he will come to Shanghai exclusively for this SFCC event to talk about his quest for safer products.
About the speaker:
Wang Hai has been crusading against counterfeit and dangerous products for more than 12 years by fighting to uphold the legal interests of consumers against counterfeiters and dodgy corporations. He is based in Beijing and runs his own consultancy.
Event details:
When: Monday, September 3, 7pm
Where: Haworth Creativity Center, 5/F One Corporate Avenue, 222 Hubin Road, near Huangpi South Road
Price: FCC Members free; Non-Members RMB 50
RSVP: by Fri, August 31 to Jessie jessieyzh(at)hotmail.com
The Revolution Continues: The Revolutionary Influence in Chinese Contemporary Art
A talk by Dr. Jiang Jiehong
7pm, Tuesday 14 August, 1918 Art Space (near Suzhou Creek)
About the event:
With Chinese art now fetching astronomical prices on the international market, the days when it was seen as a little more than a propaganda tool seem a long way away. But a new book edited by Chinese art critic and curator Jiang Jiehong draws a direct link between the 'mass art' produced in China's most politicized period, the Cultural Revolution, and China's contemporary art scene. Burden or Legacy: From the Chinese Cultural Revolution to Contemporary Art explores the impact of the art of that era on the new generation of artists. In his illustrated talk, Dr. Jiang will consider how propaganda imagery helped spawn genres such as political pop and cynical realism - and what role its influence plays in the Chinese art world today.
About the speaker:
Dr. Jiang Jiehong is head of the Centre for Chinese Visual Arts (CCVA), based at UCE Birmingham Institute of Art and Design in England, where he is also responsible for postgraduate teaching and research. He has lived in the UK since 1998, and has carried out a series of research and curatorial projects on contemporary Chinese art. Exhibitions he has curated include "Collective Space" (Hong Kong, 2005) and "Collective Identity" (Manchester, Hong Kong, 2007). Burden or Legacy: From the Chinese Cultural Revolution to Contemporary Art, which he edited, was recently published by Hong Kong University Press. Dr. Jiang is also Academic Advisor for Saatchi Gallery China Project, and frequently returns to China, lecturing at art institutions including the China Academy of Art and Central Academy of Fine Arts.
Event details:
When: Tuesday, August 14, 7pm
Where: 1918 Art Space, 78 Changping Lu, by Xi Suzhou He Lu
Price: FCC Members free; Non-Members RMB 50
RSVP: by Mon, August 13 to Jane xdancao(at)gmail.com
Struggling Giant — the Challenges for China's New Generation of Leaders
A talk by Dr. Kerry Brown
7pm, Thursday 5 July, Arch (Changshu Lu)
About the event:
Kerry Brown has seen China from many sides—as a university lecturer in Inner Mongolia, as a diplomat at the British embassy in Beijing, and now as a researcher at Chatham House in London and a consultant working with Chinese private enterprise. His new book Struggling Giant: China in the 21st century takes a lively, thoughtful and thought-provoking look at China's evolving society, politics and economy, challenging many widely held assumptions about the country along the way. Kerry Brown will discuss his view of the various scenarios for China's future development, and will assess how the country's 5th generation of political leaders, expected to become increasingly prominent following this year's Communist Party congress, may cope with the challenges facing them.
About the speaker:
Kerry Brown studied Chinese in London and later worked as a lecturer for Voluntary Service Overseas in Inner Mongolia, before gaining a PhD in modern Chinese history from Leeds University. From 2000 to 2003 he was a First Secretary at the British embassy in Beijing, before returning to the Foreign Office in London as head of its Indonesia, Philippines and East Timor Section. Since 2005 he has been Associate Fellow of the China Project at Chatham House (the Royal Institute of International Affairs) in London, Visiting Fellow of the East Asia Studies Centre, London School of Economics, and Director of the consultancy Strategic China Ltd. His book Struggling Giant is published by Anthem Press. He has also written on Inner Mongolia in the Cultural Revolution, and is currently working on a book about Chinese investment.
Event details:
When: Thursday, July 5, 7pm
Where: Arch Cafe, 115 Changshu Lu (close to Changle Lu)
Price: FCC Members free; Non-Members RMB 50
RSVP: by Wed, July 4 to Jane xdancao(at)gmail.com
Chinese Film & Documentary Meets the Digital Age, Sixth Generation and Beyond
A discussion with Christine Choy and Peng Xiaolian
7pm, Wednesday 20 June, Haworth Creativity Center
About the event:
The recent developments in Chinese film has seen the "return of the amateur filmmaker" and an underground film movement loosely referred to as the Sixth Generation. Appropriating the many techniques of documentary film-making such as long takes and hand-held cameras, these films were shot and produced quickly, while paying close attention to contemporary urban life.
Acclaimed film directors Christine Choy and Peng Xiaolian will explore different trends in recent Chinese film including innovative approaches to documentary form in China, the explosion of digital media films, both in documentary and fiction, and how piracy has shaped the form of Chinese film.
This event is organized concurrently with the Shanghai International Film Festival.
About the speakers:
Christine Choy was born in Shanghai, and has produced and directed over seventy works in various forms, receiving over sixty international awards since 1972. Choy is best known for the Academy Award-nominated Who Killed Vincent Chin?, Ha Ha Shanghai, Homes Apart: The Two Koreas, and The Shot Heard 'Round the World. Christine Choy has an equally impressive history as an educator, teaching not only at NYU at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, this year once again as Chair of the former NYU Film Department, but also at Yale, Cornell, and SUNY Buffalo.
Peng Xiaolian was also born in Shanghai and graduated from New York University Film School. She works as an independent filmmaker in China. Her poignant films focus on the expression of female individuality and Shanghai's shifting moral and cultural landscape. Shanghai Woman (2002) tells the story of three generations searching for both a living space and a spiritual space. Shanghai Story (2004) explores the post-Cultural Revolution reality of Shanghai and Shanghai Rumba (2006), set in colonial Shanghai and based on a true story, explores the relationship between famous Chinese actors, Zhao Dan and Huang Zongying. Peng's films have won numerous prizes both in China and abroad.
Event details:
When: Wednesday, June 20, 7pm
Where: Haworth Creativity Centre, 5/F, 222 Hubin Lu, by Huangpi Lu (One Corporate Avenue, close to Xintiandi)
Price: FCC Members free; Non-Members RMB 50
RSVP: by Tue, June 19 to Jane xdancao(at)gmail.com
Is it a Bull? Is it a Bubble? No, it's the Chinese Stock Market!
A talk by Peter Alexander
7pm, Tuesday 12 June, Foreign Culture Club
About the topic:
Something's up when ordinary people stop gossiping about their neighbours and start exchanging investment advice. For months now housekeepers, pensioners, and bus drivers have been pouring their meager earnings into "frying stocks," but the past few days have seen the Shanghai index plunge. Is the bubble on the verge of bursting or is the market stronger than it appears? Peter Alexander will explain what to make of the current slide in share prices and the impact of the ongoing state share reform scheme.
About the speaker:
Peter Alexander has over 15 years experience in China's capital markets. In March 2004 Mr. Alexander founded Z-Ben Advisors. The firm works with various foreign financial institutions and offers analytical reports to clients on the further development of the industry.
Event details:
When: Tuesday, June 12, 7pm
Where: FCC (Foreign Culture Club) (formerly Cochinchina), Building 11-12, 889 Julu Lu (near Changshu Lu)
Price: FCC Members free; Non-Members RMB 50
RSVP: by Mon, June 11 to Jane xdancao(at)gmail.com
Introduction to Save Shanghai Heritage and Launch of Suzhou Creek Walking Tour Brochure
7pm, Monday 11 June, Astor House Hotel (formerly Pujiang Hotel)
About the event:
Members of Save Shanghai Heritage will talk about the formation of the group and its aims, give an introduction to the two walking tour brochures which have been produced so far (on Tilanqiao and Suzhou Creek), and lead a tour and talk through the historic Astor House Hotel, Shanghai's oldest hotel.
Event details:
When: Monday, June 11, 7pm
Where: 5 Huangpu Rd, just north of the Garden Bridge (Waibaiduqiao), 4th Floor conference room
Price: FCC Members free; Non-Members RMB 200
RSVP: by Sun, June 10 to Jane xdancao(at)gmail.com
The New Labor Contract Law
A panel discussion
7pm, Wednesday 30 May, Foreign Culture Club
About the topic:
This panel considers the new labor contract law, one of the most debated draft laws in China. 191,000 organizations and people have submitted comments to the draft. It worries the foreign business community, even as its proponents hail it a great step towards strengthening and improving the lot of Chinese employees.
About the panelists:
Liu Cheng is Professor of Labor Law, Shanghai Normal University. Liu Cheng has been deeply involved in the process of the labour contract legislation, submitting 28 amending opinions for the first draft, 25 for the second and 26 for the third. In March, 2007 Liu Cheng was invited by Harvard Law Schoolto tour the US, where he spoke to trade unions, NGOs and universities and also appeared before Congress.
Jeffrey Wilson focuses on PRC employment law at Baker & McKenzie in Shanghai. He has advised many US and European companies on a wide range of employment-related issues including contracts, employee rules, unions, terminations, benefits, and health and safety issues. He has spoken widely in China, Hong Kong, and the US on PRC employment law.
Ma Jianjun is a partner of Jun He Law Office in Shanghai. Mr. Ma has published widely on labor issues in China and is regarded as an expert in labor law. Mr. Ma has been engaged by many multinational corporations and state-owned enterprises to advise on workforce reduction and employee transfer issues.
Event details:
When: Wednesday, May 30, 7pm
Where: FCC (Foreign Culture Club) (formerly Cochinchina), Building 11-12, 889 Julu Lu (near Changshu Lu)
Price: FCC Members free; Non-Members RMB 50
RSVP: by Tue, May 29 to Jane xdancao(at)gmail.com
Shanghai in the Global Imagination, 1850-2010
A talk by Jeffery Wasserstrom
7pm, Wednesday 21 March, FCC (formerly Cochinchina)
About the topic:
Professor Jeffrey Wasserstrom of the University of California, Irvine, is a leading specialist on Shanghai history and the history of student movements in China. In this talk, he will look at how international perceptions of Shanghai have evolved since the earliest days of foreign settlement, from Ulysses Grant to Jean Cocteau and Giorgio Armani, to the city's recent popularity as a venue for science fiction films and novels, and on to the potential impact of the World Expo in three years' time. He will draw on material from his soon to be published book 'China's Brave New World - and other tales for Global Times,' and his work in progress, 'Global Shanghai 1850 - 2010.'
About the speaker:
Jeffrey Wasserstrom has a Master's degree in East Asian Studies from Harvard and a doctorate in history from Berkeley. During the 1980s, he spent time at Shanghai's Fudan University, researching the history of student movements in twentieth century China. He is now Professor of History at the University of California, Irvine, and author or co-author of half a dozen books; his latest, China's Brave New World-And Other Tales for Global Times, will be published by Indiana University Press in June. He writes frequently on issues ranging from Shanghai's urbanization to Chinese youth movements for publications including the Nation, the Times Literary Supplement, the Asian Wall Street Journal, and the Los Angeles Times.
Event details:
When: Wednesday, March 21, 7pm
Where: FCC (Foreign Culture Club) (formerly Cochinchina), Building 11-12, 889 Julu Lu (near Changshu Lu)
Price: FCC Members free; Non-Members RMB 50
RSVP: by Mon, March 19 to Jane xdancao(at)gmail.com
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