Cooperation, Competition, or Conflict: Assessing the State of US-China Relations and Its Global Implications

The Williams Global Scholars present a conversation with Dr. Amy Gadsden and Professor Sam Crane on the fragile state of US-China relations and the path forward. Incorporating historical, political science, and economic approaches, their dialogue will include a moderated panel discussion and extended audience Q&A. Refreshments will be provided.

The Williams Global Issues Forum is a series of dialogues on some of the most pressing global issues. We invite faculty and students of various academic disciplines to put their approaches in conversation and reach transformative new understandings. This event will be moderated by Rem Johannknecht ’26 and Maya Prakash ’26.

Amy Gadsden works with Penn’s schools and centers to develop and implement strategies to increase Penn’s global engagement both on campus and overseas.  She oversees Penn Global’s reporting offices, including International Student and Scholar Services, Penn Abroad, Global Support Services, Global Initiatives, and Perry World House.  She oversees Penn Global’s four funds, including the China Research and Engagement Fund, India Research and Engagement Fund, Holman Africa Research and Engagement Fund, and the Global Research and Engagement Fund.  In 2016, Dr. Gadsden was named executive director of Penn China Initiatives to coordinate and develop University strategy and activity in China. In this role she works closely with the Penn Wharton China Center.

Before coming to Penn, Dr. Gadsden spent more than a decade working in the foreign policy field with a focus on China.  She served as a Country Director for the International Republican Institute and as a Special Advisor for China at the United States Department of State.  She has published several articles on democracy and human rights in China, documenting changes in legal and civil society reform.  Dr. Gadsden was one of the first American scholars to observe and write about grassroots elections in the PRC in the mid-1990s.

Sam Crane has taught at Williams College since 1989. He teaches and writes about ancient Chinese philosophy, contemporary Chinese politics, East Asian international relations, and nationalism in East Asia.

Global Scholars, a new initiative, takes an interdisciplinary approach to exploring critical global trends and issues. Through their participation in this multi-year program, the Global Scholars are mentored and challenged to engage with new concepts and generate innovative questions as they enter and examine the complexities of the always evolving and interconnected world.

The Global Scholars are encouraged to tackle urgent issues and rethink conventional paradigms. The initiative follows a process-based approach by supporting the Global Scholars in the development of their own thinking and understanding of global processes and systems. By promoting multi-faceted awareness through the task of analyzing and appreciating diverse perspectives and experiences, the Global Scholars will be better equipped to navigate societies, work in cultures and listen to and understand people from different backgrounds with humility and confidence.