I went to Chongqing for the first time where I gave a lecture on 2 June to far over 200 students in the South East University (Xinan Daxue), a bit away from the center of the city in a place called Beibei. I was quite nervous at first – lack of time to prepare but in one day I concocted over 50 slides to address many issues about the Chinese economy, its challenges and an outlook (OK, it’s much all in my head anyway). Apparently it went quite well, 3 hours non-stop talking followed by an afternoon of Q&A with a panel of professors.
The questions asked by the students and the professors proved they knew what they were talking about.
The students were pretty sharp. Unexpectedly one girl stood after 30 minutes and shouted there was no need for Chinese translation as they all understood my English. And then they say Chinese students are passive. Several wanted my autograph, good for my ego of course.
The university surprised me in many ways. Like discovering I was “poster boy”, in front of the building as well as in the auditorium.
The university is huge. Fifty thousand students. Including the on-line students the total is 80,000. Nice compound too, lots of green and many nice facilities.
For my wife, Sun Bin, it was also a special trip, back to the past. Her father Sun Yang was the dean (“secretary general”) of the University in the period 1957-1960. We even visited the house they were living in, according to Sun a bit different because the small trees around it had become by now a real forest. The University also gave us a painting and picture books where her father is shown.

The lecture (plus Valerie as stand-by interpreter), the audience and … poster boy

The trip to Chongqing was an eye opener. But more about that another time.