Michael Kahn-Ackermann (Stiftung Mercator China Special Representative)

Lars Zimmermann

Harvard University M.P.A. Lars Zimmermann is the Executive Vice President of hy.co, a leading network of digital innovators, VCs, entrepreneurs, and corporate executives based in Berlin. He was previously the founder and Chairman of the Executive Committee of Stiftung Neue Verantwortung, a cross-sectoral think tank committed to developing new policy ideas. Zimmermann studied economic geography, political sciences, and economics at the University of Bonn, where he was a scholarship recipient of the German National Academic Foundation.

From 2003 to 2004, Zimmermann was a Project Manager with Bertelsmann Stiftung and served from 2004 to 2005 as an advisor to the Aspen Institute and a Fellow with the Planning Staff of the German Foreign Ministry. From 2005 to 2007, Zimmermann was a McCloy Scholar at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He graduated with a Master of Public Administration with special focus on foreign and security policy, public management, and leadership. At Harvard, he received, among others, an award from the Hefner China Fund for academic excellence. Since 2011, Lars has been an alumnus of the Young Leaders Program of the Atlantik-Bruecke and the American Council on Germany (ACG). For three continuous years from 2010-2012, Germany’s leading business magazine, CAPITAL, chose Zimmermann for its “Top 40 Under 40” series, a list of the 40 most promising German leaders from the business and political sectors, the sciences and society.

Cai Jian

Cai Jian is the Executive Dean of the Peking University (PKU) Innovation Education and Research Institute as well as a Professor of Management Science and Engineering at the College of Engineering at PKU.

Cai Jian was jointly appointed as Doctoral Advisor and EMBA Professor at the Guanghua School of Management at PKU. His research fields include innovation management, innovation strategy, and web science. Cai has published research papers in academic journals and authored several books, including The Theory of Collaborative Innovation and From China Price to China Value. He previously funded the International Youth Innovation Games and UrMing Interactive Service Platform. In addition to acting as the keynote speaker for the World Economic Forum and China Entrepreneurs’ Annual Meeting, he has also participated in the executive education program at Harvard Business School. He earned his PhD and two master’s degrees from the University of Southern California as well as a B.Eng. from Tsinghua University, all with honors.

The Mercator Salon is a series of events run by Stiftung Mercator in Beijing. The salons provide a platform for Chinese and Europeans to exchange ideas and opinions on topical issues relevant to culture and society. The first three rounds of Mercator Salons took place from October 2012 to November 2013 on the topics of “Cultural Metropolis—Metropolitan Culture,” “Money and Happiness,” and “Intellectuals and the Role of Science in China and Europe.”

In 2014, Stiftung Mercator, in cooperation with Lens magazine, will organize a new round of Mercator Salons on the concepts of “Future” and “Home,” which will be held in summer and autumn 2014, respectively.

For more information about the Mercator Salon series, please visit www.mercatorsalon.de/en.

Stiftung Mercator is one of the largest private foundations in Germany. It pursues clearly defined objectives in its thematic clusters of integration, climate change, and arts education and achieves these objectives with a combination of socio-political advocacy and practical work. Stiftung Mercator implements its own projects and supports external projects in its centers for science and humanities, education, and international affairs.

Currently, Stiftung Mercator is funding several projects in China: school and youth exchanges, multiplier encounters, and fellowship programs for young managers in the areas of civil society, politics, academia, and business. The organization is working on creating a better and more nuanced understanding of Chinese and European realities through long-term partnership and cooperation.

Please see www.stiftung-mercator.de/en for more information.

Launched in 2005, Lens is a monthly photojournalistic magazine that explores stories of human nature and social realities. The magazine focuses on individuals, society, arts, and other cultural events. Dedicated to incorporating stunning photography with groundbreaking reporting and an edgy perspective, Lens provides a comprehensive reading experience and is one of the most valuable magazines in China.