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Join our Philanthropy Is Me Community
Philanthropy is the desire to promote the welfare of others and is one of the most joyful experiences in life. Join our growing community to help make a difference.
Each month CUSWF presents profiles of some of our philanthropists as part of our CUSWF Philanthropy is Me program.
We invite you to share with others why you support CUSWF. Find out more about Philanthropy is Me .
CUSWF Book Club - This Fish is Fowl: Essays of Being
A Conversation with author Xu Xi and author and filmmaker Ann Hedreen
We at CUSWF were so moved by Xu Xi's new book of essays This Fish is Fowl: Essays of Being, we wanted to share them with you as our latest CUSWF Book Club Selection.
We are delighted to have this exclusive conversation with Xu Xi by noted author, filmmaker and teacher Ann Hedreen.
“In the end, you write who you are, fish, fowl, mongrel, or whatever hybrid creature you happen to be, regardless of what supposedly equals ‘success’ for a writer,” asserts author Xu Xi in This Fish is Fowl/Essays of Being, published this year by the University of Nebraska Press in its acclaimed American Lives series. Xi’s book is a remarkable and timely addition to the series, which is edited by Tobias Wolff. Together, her sharply detailed essays give us a rich portrait of a life that is at once uniquely American (Xi is a naturalized citizen) and intricately global: Xi grew up in Hong Kong, the daughter of Chinese-Indonesian immigrants; her former corporate marketing career took her all over the world; and she now co-directs the Vermont College of Fine Arts’ International MFA program in creative writing and literary translation, a “floating” low-residency program that decamps, for each semester’s short residency period, to locations as various as Iceland, Portugal, Turkey and Malaysia.
From 2010 to 2018, Xu Xi lived primarily in Hong Kong, where she was the director of a new creative writing MFA program at City University of Hong Kong. She accepted the position and made the move so that she could live with and care for her mother through the late stages of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Following is a lightly edited version of my conversation with Xu Xi, which ranged from the ascendance of “World English” to how being her mother’s caregiver influenced her writing:
Tell me about the Vermont College of Fine Art’s International MFA in creative writing.
What we believe is that we need to embrace and understand the literature that’s in the English language from all over the world. Which means not just British and American, but the broader world of English language literature: Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Malaysian… and also so many people who have defected from their original language to write in English. China is very notable for that. We also have students from Thailand and Vietnam. (Continue reading)
About the authors
Xu Xi is Co-Director of The International MFA program in creative writing and literary translation at the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She is the author of This Fish is Fowl: Essays of Being (University of Nebraska Press/American Lives Series, 2019), Dear Hong Kong: An Elegy for a City, That Man in Our Lives, The Unwalled City and many other books.
Ann Hedreen is a writer, filmmaker and teacher. Her memoir, Her Beautiful Brain, won a 2016 Next Generation Indie award. Ann’s writing can also be found in 3rdAct Magazine and other publications. She has just finished a second memoir, The Observant Doubter.
Join our CUSWF Conferences
CUSWF Networking and Knowledge
Networking and sharing information are key priorities for CUSWF. We'll be sharing here all of the exciting conferences that we are putting together with you in mind.
You will be invited to join CUSWF for special forums about technology, health, education and the arts.
Education and discussion make us stronger together!
Global Communication Strategy
SHANGHAI, June 25, 2019 -- Leslie Wolf-Creutzfeldt, CUSWF's Executive Director, spoke at the Global Communication Strategy forum in Shanghai on June 25th.
Bringing together international communication and business leaders, this one-day forum presented the latest in global investor relations in the changing global economy.
For more information, contact Leslie at leslie@cuswf.org,
Digital Publishing Summit, Paris
PARIS, June 25, 2019 -- Our CDO Lisa Faith Phillips spoke on The Audio Revolution at the Digital Publishing Summit in Paris.
Sponsored by the European Digital Reading Lab (EDRLab) and the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), Lisa was honored to speak about the power and importance of the spoken word and storytelling for education and literacy.
The Digital Publishing Summit took place in Paris, France on June 25-26, 2019.
Latest News
CUSWF Honored to Support CEIBS Forum on China
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NEW YORK, August 11, 2019 -- CUSWF was inspired by The China Europe International Business School forum on digital opportunities in China.
Here with CEIBS Professor Byron Y. Lee who presented an exciting overview of the dynamic growth of digital and AI in China. From case-studies we learned how Alibaba and Wechat grew their businesses and how Luckin coffee is taking on Starbucks for the growing coffee market in China.
We learned how students and executives can study at this top-ranked business school in Shanghai to explore the exploding digital market opportunities.
China Institute Panel on U.S.-China Tech Future
NEW YORK, August 1, 2019 --CUSWF attended China Institute's informative panel discussion on U.S.-China Tech Battle. Andy Purdy, Chief Security Officer, Huawei Technologies USA, and U.S. security and tech experts discussed U.S.-China tech competition, the race for 5G, and the current U.S. government policy on Huawei Technologies, the world’s largest telecom equipment maker and China’s largest telephone-network equipment maker.
Are there serious security issues at play? To what extent is U.S. policy driven by global competition and the race for 5G dominance? Is the “free” internet facing an existential threat posed by a powerful Chinese player?
CUSWF Film Society Moved by Powerful Documentary
NEW YORK, June 19, 2019 -- CUSWF friends and supports attended China Institute's screening of Out of Phoenix Bridge, the groundbreaking documentary from Li Hong, China’s first independent female documentary film-makers.
The film follows two years in the lives of four young women from the countryside who come to Beijing for jobs. In interviews and intimate footage, Hong elicits remarkably candid and complex testimony from her subjects as they frankly discuss their work, pressures from home, and experiences with men. A remarkable achievement, this touching film is a fascinating look at the lives of women whose experiences are rarely explored.
Friendship Key Factor in Happiness
Dear Friends and Members,
How are you? In the news we hear about rising tensions between China and the United States. While being aware of business disputes and government statements, the CUSWF believes that collaboration between women in areas of healthcare, economic exchanges, arts and education will have positive results regardless of politics.
Friendship is a key factor in resilience, and by being friends, we are stronger together.
CUSWF and Dr. Tia Powell on Aging Well and with Wisdom
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NEW YORK, May 14, 2019 --
The China-U.S. Women's Foundation welcomed Dr. Tia Powell to a special event at CUSWF to talk about her excellent new book Dementia Remagined.
A special combination of smart, intimate writing that draws you in from the first pages as it moves from her powerful personal story through a riveting overview of the history and science of dementia and finally what we can do to create a better future for us and our loved ones as we all face this aging issue that will affect 50% of people 85 and over.
Spectacular Consinee Gala Runway Fashion Show at Cipriani Wall Street, NYC, July 17, 2019 Shows Power of China-U.S. Fashion Collaboration
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More News
CUSWF Partners with New York Times China
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BEIJING, April -- Lisa Faith Phillips, CUSWF’s Chief Development Officer, reconnected with her friend Ching-Ching Ni, editor-in-chief of the New York Times China, to discuss how we can build bridges together. We are excited to share the New York Times Chinese brief. Check out the highlights of the New York Times bilingual versions.
You can follow Ching-Ching on Twitter @ccni.
CUSWF Partners with The Women's Foundation of Hong Kong
HONG KONG, April 27, 2019 -- Fiona Nott, CEO of The Women's Foundation of Hong Kong, and CUSWF Chief Development Officer Lisa Faith Phillips discuss ways our two organizations can work together to help women and girls to reach their potential.
CUSWF Announces New Partnership with People's Daily
BEIJING, April 22, 2019 -- CUSWF Chief Development Officer Lisa Faith Phillips meets with Chairwoman Kuo at People's Daily offices in Beijing to discuss the importance of harmonious collaboration between our two organizations.
Friendship through Calligraphy at the United Nations
NEW YORK, April 25, 2019 -- CUSWF senior advisor, Mingyi Xu, organized a calligraphy exhibit of Master Wang Lianghu at the United Nations on April 25th. Master Wang came to the United States to form ties through calligraphy about harmony, seasons, dreams and friendship.
SymposiumX - Financial Innovation on the Web
NEW YORK, April 23, 2019 -- SymposiumX, organized by FortuneTimes Group (FTG) and World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), brought together industry thought-leaders to discuss the latest in building the next generation of emerging technologies and standards for financial innovation
CUSWF Welcomes Our Fashion Ambassador Carina Jiang
NEW YORK, April 2019 -- CUSWF is delighted to announce that Carina Jiang, MBA, fashion model and style expert, has joined our CUSWF team as fashion ambassador.
Our first event together was the inspiring China Institute 2019 Fashion Design Competition
A Conversation with Tia Powell, MD, and Ann Hedreen
A special CUSWF interview in our health and wellness series
CUSWF invited Ann Hedreen, a writer, filmmaker and teacher, to interview Tia Powell, MD, Director, Montefiore Einstein Center for Bioethics, about Tia's new book Dementia Reimagined: Building a Life of Joy and Dignity from Beginning to End.
In the following piece by Ann Hedreen, she and Tia share meaningful insights and further elucidate a challenging topic. We welcome feedback and personal stories from our readers.
Ten years from now, every single Baby Boomer in the United States will have turned 65, and we’ll account for 20 percent of the population, outnumbering children for the first time in U.S. history. China is aging even faster: the World Health organization estimates that in the next twenty years, the number of people 60 or older will more than double, reaching 28 percent. Many of us will be healthy and vibrant in our old age, even as we manage chronic conditions ranging from cranky knees to heart disease. Some of us will start to worry about our brains. Some of that worrisome short-term memory loss will turn out to be more serious. If we’re lucky enough to reach 85, our chance of living with dementia will likely be 50 percent. And the chance of scientists coming up with a magic pill by the time we need it—one that can prevent, stop or reverse any of the many types of dementia we might encounter—is close to nil.
That’s the bad news. But Dr. Tia Powell wants us to know that there is much we can do besides wring our hands as we face a future that could include a dementia diagnosis for ourselves or for someone we love. In Dementia Reimagined: Building a Life of Joy and Dignity from Beginning to End, Dr. Powell, a professor of psychiatry and bioethics, makes a powerful case for reimagining how we view dementia.
It’s a subject that’s personal for me. I watched my mother live with and eventually die from young-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Like Powell, I am one of six siblings who scrambled to keep up with the demands of our mother’s relentless illness. I wish we’d had Dementia Reimagined in our hands then. I’m glad it’s available now for other families like ours. (Read more)
Learn More
Ann's memoir, Her Beautiful Brain, which documented her experience with a mother with early-onset Alzheimer's disease, won a 2016 Next Generation Indie award. Ann’s writing can also be found in and other publications. She is just finishing a second memoir, The Observant Doubter.
Feiyang Qiao Wins CI's 2019 Fashion Design Competition
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NEW YORK, April 6, 2019 - The vibrant colors and inventive designs of Feiyang Qiao, a Parsons design student, wowed the fashion industry audience at China institute's annual Fashion Design Competition.
Twelve finalists showed their designs inspired by China's culture and aesthetics in contemporary global design.
CUSWF Talks to Three Chinese Women Artists
NEW YORK, March 16, 2019 -- In honor of Women's History Month, Willow Weilan Hai, China Institute's gallery director, introduced three contemporary Chinese women artists: Guo Zhen, LanDing Liu and Lin Yan, to discuss identity and gender in contemporary art for China Institute's 6th Annual Orchid Pavilion Gathering: The Artist Talk on Women Artists. CUSWF's executive director Leslie Wolf-Creutzfeldt sat down for one-on-ones.
De-stress and Breathe with CUSWF's Newsletter
How are you? We hope you are all doing well-- but let’s face it, no matter how successful we are, the modern world can be stressful. Even if we have our dream job, the challenges of balancing work, family life, friends, and so much more can sometimes impact our mental and physical health. That’s why the CUSWF wants to share coping solutions that allow us to thrive in spite of challenges. The more we support each other, the better we’ll feel.
CUSWF Celebrates International Women's Day
NEW YORK, March 8, 2019 -- The China-U.S. Women's Foundation and Fortune Times Group, our education partner, celebrated International Women's Day by bringing together men and women to commemorate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.
Discussions were held on action steps to encourage gender parity and to empower women and girls around the world.
Women, Investment and Innovation at the United Nations
NEW YORK, March 6, 2019 -- CUSWF's co-Founder Mingyi Xu and CDO Lisa Faith Phillips joined delegates from all over the world for The Sixth Annual Power of Collaboration Global Summit at the United Nations to collaborate and share action steps for gender parity and economic empowerment for women to lift all societies.
Worldwide $163 trillion a year is lost due to restrictions that limits women's ability to fully participate in the world economy.
CUSWF Annnounces Partnership with Pearl S. Buck International
NEW YORK, February 19, 2019: Pearl S. Buck International and the China-U.S. Women’s Foundation (CUSWF) announce a partnership to raise awareness about Pearl S. Buck International’s Welcome Workplace Initiative to teach diversity strategies to increase productivity and morale in schools and businesses.
Janet Mintzer, President and CEO of Pearl S. Buck International, said “We are pleased to partner with the China-U.S. Women’s Foundation to help increase understanding about how managing diversity harnesses differences..."
CUSWF Partners with The Jed Foundation
NEW YORK, January 17, 2019 -- CUSWF announced a partnership with The Jed Foundation (JED) to raise awareness about mental health issues among Chinese Americans, Chinese students in America and audiences in China that may not be familiar with mental health issues. Studies show that Asian-Americans are three times less likely than their white counterparts to seek treatment for mental health concerns.
CUSWF's CDO Connects with Chinese Publishers
NEW YORK, January 17, 2019 -- CUSWF's CDO Lisa Faith Phillips presented the latest on the digital evolution in publishing and the future of multimedia to visiting executives from Chinese publishers at the "Convergence of Digital Multimedia for Publishers" conference at the SUNY Global Center for Graduate and Executive Education.
CUSWF Announces New Partnership with China Institute
NEW YORK, December 3, 2018 -- CUSWF is honored to announce our new partnership with the China Institute. Between the classes and public events at China Institute and the convening power of the China-U.S. Women’s Foundation, we'll bring you an array of cultural and educational benefits.
CUSWF Builds Bridges with Guizhou
NEW YORK, December 3, 2018 -- CUSWF met with Mr. Sun Tao, Director of Anshun Economic and Technological Development Zone Committee of Guizhou province, and his team visting from China to learn about the natural beauty of the Anshun region and the exciting plans for economic development.
CUSWF Supports Pearl S. Buck International
BUCKS COUNTY, PA, December 1, 2018 -- Our CUSWF book club met with Janet Mintzer, president and CEO of Pearl S. Buck International, after taking their new activist tour at Pearl S. Buck house. We are inspired by Pearl S. Buck's humanitarian work, life and writings.
CUSWF Fosters Literacy for a Better Future
Literacy is the key to successful learning. Without reading, students lack the skills they need to be make it through school, and their options in life are limited. Although strides in literacy worldwide have been made in recent years, girls and women still lag behind due to socio-economic and cultural issues.