Two public lectures at Cornell University later this month will examine political systems in China and Russia, with a former U.S. ambassador and a historian of modern China speaking in Ithaca.
The talks are part of Cornell's “Unmasking the CCP: History, Politics, and Society in Post-1949 China” series. Both require advance registration, according to the Cornell Chronicle.
Michael McFaul, who served as U.S. ambassador to Russia during the Obama administration, will speak Friday, Oct. 23, at 4:45 p.m. in Rhodes-Rawlings Auditorium in Klarman Hall. His lecture, “Autocrats vs. Democrats: China, Russia, America, and the New Global Disorder,” draws on his recent book and examines the relationship among the three countries and the competition between democratic and autocratic systems.
Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff will introduce McFaul. A reception and book signing will begin at 3:45 p.m. in Groos Family Auditorium. Registration is required, and the event listing says the lecture runs until 6:30 p.m.
McFaul is a Stanford University professor of international studies. Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences said two undergraduates will take part in a panel with him, and another student will conduct an interview.
The second lecture, Tuesday, Oct. 27, will feature Frank Dikötter, a historian of modern China and professor at the University of Hong Kong. He will discuss how communism came to power in China in a talk titled “Red Dawn over China: How Communism Conquered a Quarter of Humanity.”
Cornell Provost Kavita Bala will introduce Dikötter at 4:45 p.m. in Schwartz Auditorium, 201 Rockefeller Hall. A reception and book signing are planned beforehand in 291 Clark Hall, and doctoral students Henry Cheng and Hanna Lin will participate in a panel afterward. Advance registration is required.
The Department of History organizes the series. Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences and several university centers and programs co-sponsor McFaul's appearance.
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