PASADENA, the United States, June 1 (Xinhua) -- "Cooperation between U.S. universities and China is the future. Like it or not, we need each other," Evans Y. Lam, a famous American fund manager and philanthropist, told Xinhua Friday.
Despite the ongoing tense trade war initiated by the United States against China, Lam is confident that the two countries will continue to share educational resources in the years ahead.
Lam told Xinhua the efforts he and his colleagues are making to promote educational cooperation and cultural understanding between the United States and China.
The fund he manages for the Schwarzman Scholarships for graduate study in China was created in 2013 by private equity firm manager Stephen Schwarzman, who modeled them on the Rhodes Scholarships.
Schwarzman conceived his scholarship program because he believed in the necessity for future American and world leaders to better understand China's history, culture, economy and motivations to create a basis for mutual understanding and a supportive global environment for people and businesses to thrive in.
"For future geopolitical stability and global prosperity, we need to build a culture of greater trust and understanding between China, America and the rest of the world," Schwarzman has announced publicly.
Lam agreed that it is essential for future leaders on both sides to have a chance to study and work together.
"Only by understanding the culture and political realities that they grew up in, can you really understand where someone is coming from, what is important to them, and why they make the choices they do," he said.
"Yes, there are differences and some problems still to overcome," he said. "But if you love a culture and a country and are big-hearted, you accept that these kind of core differences can take time to change."
"Understanding Chinese is good for business," Lam added, saying that he had a distinct advantage over someone familiar with only one culture or language.
"I speak Mandarin and English and studied Chinese history and literature and Shakespeare and American economics. My outlook is broader and that means I can tell more about the person across the table than he can about me," he said.
