Michael Kahn-Ackermann（Stiftung Mercator China Special Representative）

Jon Worth

Founder and partner in techPolitics LLP, dedicated to developing social media strategies and websites for politicians and political campaigns. He has worked with large clients in the corporate, NGO and governmental sectors, facilitating and training staff and developing social media and strategic web communications advice. He has been responsible for three of the highest profile Labour Party sites in party politics in the UK – Ken Livingstone’s comeback, Diane Abbott’s Labour Leadership site and Harriet Harman’s deputy leadership website and blog.

As a regular commentator on EU affairs in the media, including on BBC, Euronews and Deutschlandradio, Jon concerns himself with European Union politics. He was Europe-wide President of the Young European Federalists (JEF-Europe), a voluntary organization with 20,000 members in 40 countries, and is currently a visiting lecturer on EU politics at various institutes and schools.

In a personal capacity Jon has been blogging at www.jonworth.eu about European Union politics and the influence of the Internet on European political systems for the past seven years. Burson Marsteller ranked Jon in its top 10 EU web influencers in 2012 and PR firm Waggener Edstrom ranked his blog as the 5th most influential EU blog in June 2010.

Wang Xiaoyu

PhD in history from the Institute of Cultural Criticism in Tongji University. Wang began writing cultural criticism in 2000, and his columns and editorials have appeared in many major media outlets and widely influenced the Chinese community. His books include Cultural McDonald's (2006) (《文化麦当劳》), The "Civil War" of Intellectuals (2007) (《知识分子的“内战”》), and Return to Public Reading (2011) (《重返公共阅读》). He is the chief editor of the "Independent Reading" series, some articles from which have been translated into Japanese, English, etc. In 2006, Wang was selected as the Book Reviewer of the Year by 27 media outlets, including Sina.com and China Youth Daily, and his blog was chosen the "Social Responsible" Blog of the Year by Internet Society of China and People.cn. He was invited to Waseda University, Japan in 2011 for academic exchange. In 2012, Wang was invited to the U.S. for the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) of the U.S. Department of State.

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 will cooperate with Lens magazine to organize a new round of Mercator Salons on the concepts of “Future” and “Home,” which will be held in the summer and autumn.

For more information about Mercator Salon, 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. We are working on creating a better and more nuanced understanding of Chinese and European reality in the respective other region 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 reflects social realities. The magazine’s contents focuses on individuals, society, arts, and other various 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.