3/3/2020: US and Chinese Perspectives on Current Issues in Myanmar with Fulbright Scholar Xianghui Zhu and Professor Christina Fink

The Sigur Center for Asian Studies cordially invites you to a discussion with Fulbright scholar and Sigur Center Visiting Scholar, Xianghui Zhu, and Professor Christina Fink on where Myanmar is headed in the midst of an election year with many critical issues on the table. These include constitutional amendments to reduce the power of the military, international pressure to address abuses committed against the Rohingya, and a stalled peace process. At the same time, major planned Chinese investments may reshape the economy.

This event is free and open to the public. Lunch will be provided.

Professor Christina Fink joined the Elliott School in 2011. She is a cultural anthropologist who has combined teaching, research, and development work throughout her career. She received her B.A. in International Relations from Stanford University and her M.A. and Ph.D. in Social/Cultural Anthropology from the University of California at Berkeley. She served as a visiting lecturer at the Pacific and Asian Studies Department at the University of Victoria in 1995, and from 2001-2010, she was a lecturer and program associate at the International Sustainable Development Studies Institute in Thailand. During the same period, she also ran a bi-annual capacity building training and internship program, which she developed for members of Burmese civil society organizations, including women’s groups. In addition, she has worked as a coordinator for the Open Society Institute’s Burma Project, a trainer and project consultant for an Internews oral history project, and a program evaluation consultant for the Canadian International Development Agency, the National Endowment for Democracy, and the Dag Hammarskjold Foundation.

Dr. Xianghui Zhu is a Fulbright scholar with the Sigur Center for Asian Studies at George Washington University. He is also Associate Professor with the Institute of Myanmar Studies, Yunnan University, China. He was educated at Peking University in China with a Ph.D. in Burmese language and literature. Before embarking on his academic career, he worked for China-Myanmar Oil and Gas Pipelines Company and was in the Public Affairs Section of the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar.