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Suchen presents
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4 -5 Sept Beijing conference
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6 -20 Sept expedition
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Index:
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Introduction to Suchen
TED , TEDx, TEDxPedition
Expedition and TEDx
Expedition Route
Fellowship
People
Timeline
Information for sponsors
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4-5
6-9
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Brought to you by:
Supported by:
Can you see your organization here?
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TedxPedition
Introduction
SUCHEN
In recent times, we have seen the rapid wealth creation that has sustained itself in
miracle fashion, enabling China singlehandedly to address the UN‘s Millennium
goal on poverty alleviation and recently to host the Olympic Games in Beijing;
an impressive showcase of the result of 30 years‘ reform. However, new social
and environmental problems have emerged as a result of such fast development.
Sustainability is emerging as one of the most crucial issues on the world stage.
China is adopting the economic development policy based on the concept of
‗harmonious society‘, where numerous investment funds have been set off to
capture the value of business sustainability. Under the backdrop of this global
and far-reaching trend, Suchen is delighted to launch the TEDxPedition. This
bold mission will enable the search and research of the key mythologies behind
the best sustainable initiatives big and small throughout China. TEDxPeditioners
will engage in TEDx conferences in Beijing, Xi‘an, Chengdu and Hong Kong,
presenting findings, discussing TED talks and local ideas/initiatives, spreading
inspiration, and acquiring the understanding needed to obtain solutions, which
will lead to win-win results in business, for communities and our environment.
―
Sustainable Chinese Enterprise‖
Origin
Born from an understanding that our generation
faces two great challenges in the years ahead--the
first is a profound crisis of economic, social and
environmental sustainability, and the second is the
astonishing rise of the People‘s Republic of China
to wealth and global influence. The Suchen
approach comes from a firm belief that not only
are these two challenges inextricably linked, but
the solutions can only be found in studying these
two forces together. We are convinced that in the
globalised world of today these challenges are the
prerogative of not any particular industry, nation
or agency but common to us all. Never before
have we lived in an era where the young and the
committed have had so many resources at their
disposal to be the change they want to see in this
Objectives
· to raise awareness of the concept of sustainability and its urgency among the
youth
· to illustrate the importance of sustainability in the 21st century and its
profound role in the international geopolitical policies, global business strategies,
national and regional prosperity, and cultural evolution
· to create a dialogue platform between the world-leading practitioners and the
leaders of tomorrow, enhancing communications among the conference
participants and spreading the impact of the conferences beyond the events
· to gain a first-hand experience of the recent development of environment
issues in China by visiting the Loess Plateau and other case studies
· to document findings that will guide future sustainable enterprise initiatives
based on story telling and simplifying large or complex problems
world, and as such Suchen‘s vision is to bring
together minds from across the world in
co-operation toward creating sustainable solutions
to development.
Vision
We search for and develop the most talented and
passionate minds globally. To be sustainable in
nature so that the model can be replicated at the
leading education establishments around of the
UK, Europe and the US to produce more
innovation leaders that have the ability to affect
the direction of business in China. These leaders
will innovate and engage in sustainable wealth
· to launch Suchen Fellowship, selecting two Suchen fellows
creation and thus facilitate the development of
more Suchen fellows who will in turn leave their
mark in contributing to greater positive social,
environmental and economic changes.
Objectives
Suchen is to select the most promising talent from
UK and China and develop them in a way which
will give them the best chance to be the new breed
of ―
innovative leader‖ in China. They will be the
ones who, through talent, innovation and boldness
will influence the direction of policy and action in
China to a sustainable dynamic.
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What is TED?
TED is an annual event where some of the world‘s
leading thinkers and doers are invited to share what they
are most passionate about. ―
TED‖ stands for Technology,
Entertainment, Design — three broad subject areas that
are, collectively, shaping our future. And in fact, the
event is broader still, showcasing ideas that matter in any
discipline.
Attendees have called it ―
the ultimate brain spa‖ and ―
a four-day journey into the
future.‖ The diverse audience — CEOs, scientists, creatives, philanthropists — is
almost as extraordinary as the speakers, who have included Bill Clinton, Bill Gates,
Jane Goodall, Frank Gehry, PaulSimon, Sir Richard Branson, Philippe Starck and
Bono. TED was first held in Monterey, California, in 1984.
In 2001, Chris Anderson‘s Sapling Foundation acquired TED from its founder,
Richard Saul Wurman. In recent years, TED has expanded to include an international
conference, TEDGlobal; media initiatives, including TED Talks and TED.com; and
the TED Prize. TEDGlobal 2009, ―
The Substance of Things Not Seen,‖ has just been
held at July 21-24, 2009, in Oxford, UK and TEDIndia will be held in November
2009. TED2010, ―
What the world Needs Now,‖ will be held Feb 9-13, 2010, in Long
Beach, California, with a simulcast event in Palm Springs, California.
TEDx...
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TED has created a program called TEDx. This is a program of local, self-organized events that
bring people around the work together to share a TED-like experience. The name ―
x=independently organized TED event‖.
What, why and how?
WHAT?
Our event, TEDxPedition, will push the frontiers of the
relatively new TEDx concept becoming the first countrywide, multiple TEDx
event. Suchen will be facilitating the launch of 4 separate TEDx conferences
throughout China. Not only endorsing and permeating the concept of TED and
sustainable enterprise in China, but also conducting research along the way and
creating more ―
ideas worth spreading‖.
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Left: Suchen founder and Robert
Swan (of 2041.com) on the Antarctic
Peninsula (Belinghausen station)
Right: Tallberg, Sweden. The 20
young change agents at the New
Leaders Program.
WHY?
―
From my experiences this year on the BP Antarctica expedition and on the ―
New Leaders Program‖ at Tallberg Forum
(Sweden), I learned two important things. Firstly, never underestimate the power of a small group of committed people, with good ideas.
Secondly always ensure that you have an interesting story to tell; that way we can engage more people than you could imagine. This is
why Suchen have decided to embark on this journey that combines discovery, learning, storytelling and developing both ideas and
human networks for effective change. With a select group of 10 talented young change agents, we will engage entrepreneurs, inventors,
businessmen, the media and communities around China; sharing ideas that work along the way. The TEDxPedition story will be our
journey against the backdrop across one of the largest and fastest growing economies the world has seen.‖ (Suchen founder)
HOW?
At our TEDxPedition talks we will be introducing TEDTalks videos as well as live speakers and TEDxPeditioners;
combined to spark deep discussion and connection in small groups. The TED Conferences provide the foundation for the TEDx
program; however individual TEDx events, including ours, are self-organised. TEDxPedition conferences will in part be focusing on
the subject of Climate Change and sustainable enterprise and also dedicate significant attention to social/community initiatives within
the wider TED subject matters; simply put…all ideas worth spreading.
The TEDxPeditionBeijing conference review the lessons learnt throughout the past year with the passing of Olympics, Earthquake and
economic crisis, as well as frame and serious issue of climate change coming up to COP15 and introduce new initiatives. The following
TEDx conferences will involve subjects mixing local ideas with international concepts as well as presentation of findings by the
expedition in areas such as Loess plateau rehabilitation project.
TEDxPeditionChina will be the first TEDx event of its kind operating under an official license from TED.
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TEDxPedition Conference Format
In order to facilitate the displays and discussions of ideas a version of the framework below will be used to maximise audience
participation and time efficiency. All TEDxPedition conferences will be recorded but the process of discussion will be designed to
ensure most meaningful discussions develop. As with TED, speakers are permitted to speak for no longer than 18 minutes. Each
TEDxPedition conferene will involve at least 2 of the expeditioners speaking about findings. TEDxPedition Beijing will be the biggest
with later conferences plutting emphasis on ―y
outh‖. The final TEDxPedition publication will both include conference summaries as
well as trip insights, case studies and insights.
Confirmed speakers at
TEDxPedition conferences this year
Beijing University Environmental
Initiative
Maurice Strong, co-founder of UNEP
Climate Change Modeling, COP15
Andrew Jones, Sustainability Institute
Prince’s Rainforests Project
Michael Naylor, Forrester Partners
IPCC in COP15
Sir John Houghton, co-chair of the
Nobel Prize Winning IPCC
The Loess Plateau Watershed
Rehabilitation Project
John Liu, Director of Environmental
TEDxPedition Series:
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Saturday 5
Education Media Project
September.
12 Talks; 4TED talks
Topics: China past year, COP15, clean energy,
university initiatives, energy policy
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Monday 9 September
8 Talks, 3 TED talks
Topics: Loess Plateau project, China past and
present,
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Wednesday 14 September
8 Speakers; 3 TED talks
Topics: Sichua earthquake, Three Gorges,
ecosystem management, inland entperises
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Saturday 19 September
6 Speakers; 2 TED talks
Topics: green business,
technology
DanPing Village Project, Sichuan
Sheri Liao, Global Village of Beijing
Role of Social Enterprise and
Frameworks
Houghton Wan, Bright China Group
Youth Social Entrepreneurship
Andrea Krause,
YBD (Youth Business Development)
Meng/Dan Marmar, YDB
Tallberg forum
Marcello Palazzi, Tallberg Foundation
International Earth Forum
Sophia Trapp, Production1000
Antarctica
Leon Chen, Suchen/BP expedition
“Green is cool” in China
Shane Zhao, China‘s Greenbeat
innovation
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and
Expedition Route (4th – 20th September)
TEDxPedition is a journey to learn about projects with positive ecological and economic impacts such as the Loess Plateau
Rehabilitation Project, Three Gorges Dam, Sichuan Earthquake zone and green business in Hong Kong. The purpose of the trip is not
only to let participants appreciate the live nature of the projects but also collect information by communicating with locals/ experts
and gathering up to date information that can be evaluated. Along the journey, expditioners will minimize carbon footprint by and
participate in sustainable practices, such as using solar chargers for cell phones, and tree planting.
Below is a route plan of the TEDxPedition 2009;
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Objective
The purpose of travelling across China doesn‘t only the power of traveling using public transport traversing such a vast country but
also is a fantastic chance to document the best case studies of sustainable development and enterprise with the intent of trying to
understand what is the most important factors that make them successful. Suchen are interested in the ―s
ystems‖ aspects of the many
initiatives and methodologies and best practices value is created and such an initiative can be replicated. The expeditioners will be
bringing these lessons for the whole world to see and encourage communities to utilize a set of best practices in both small and large
scale sustainable enterprise initiatives.
A findings report will be built up about the areas visited, this will be analyzed by Suchen Fellows at a later stage.
The duration of the journey will be two weeks in total, with a substantial amount of time spent traveling using trains; a great
opportunity for effective dialogue as well as being able to appreciate the natural beauty and changes in landscape of China from the
ground (no flying allowed). We will attempt to use as many modes of transport as possible in this expedition making the trip both
interesting however safety will always be the most important aspect. TEDxPedition is a truly epic journey, one of disovery and mass
dialogues and valuable insights.
A short film will be made about the conference and trip and we aim to show this at youth talks in Copenhagen at the end of the year.
Please find the relevant numbers on the map above and brief desciption of activies in each location with the corresponding numbers.
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1. TEDxPeditionBeijing, visiting sustainable businesses and studying cases.
Visit the Great Wall, the Olympic Games sites, a wind farm and an organic farm on the outskirts of Beijing. The delegation will
meet TEDxPedition Bejing, meet entrepreneurs, government officials and NGO leaders before departing on the TEDxPedition
across China.
2. The Loess Plateau: Watershed Rehabilitation Project (under the World Bank)
Visit a groundbreaking example of ecosystem regeneration implementation
and benefiting the local community. The designation of ecosystem and
economic land and watershed rehabilitation has increased land productivity
significantly. This project has affected land mass equivalent to the size of Belgum and lifted millions out of poverty as well as
recovering ecosystem functionality to a land that is considered the ―cr
adle of the Chinese civilization‖. We will be carrying out
research by interviewing locals on how the project has changed their lives and what lies ahead for their future.
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3. TEDxPeditionXi’an and then on to the Three Gorges
The delegation will visit the Terracota army and sustainable businesses in Xi‘an. We will be traversing from the Yellow river to
China‘s longest river the ―
Chang Jiang‖ further south to study the world‘s largest water conservation project ever, the Three
Gorges Dam.
4. TEDxPeditionSichuan and visits to earthquake zone and Dujiangyan
The delegation will study examples of effective ecosystem management and post earthquake Wolong Panda Reserve. Other activities
include aiding a Chengdu-based NGO to work in the earthquake region to redevelop the affected areas sustainably, studying the
world‘s oldest and most long-lasting nautral water irrigation project in DuJiangYan which dated back to 250BC. The delegation will
also visit a newly build eco-village in the earthquake zone, camp out, and share the experience with the locals. Afterwards, the
delegation will discuss findings and preparing for TEDxPedition Sichuan in one of the many tea houses and over traditional Sichuan
cuisine.
5. Visit to Changsha, Hunan Province
On the way to Hong Kong, the delegation will stop by Changsha to visit the Broad air-conditioning (http://www.broad.com/english/)
company, widely known as ―t
he Broad Town‖ for its environmental initives and sustainable building. At Broad, the delegation will
discuss social, environmentally friendly businesses, learn and exchange ideas with Chairman Zhang Yue. Topics include Broad‘s
newly-manufactured green buildings to aid to the post Earthquake reconstruction, the organic farms which provide the food for the
entire campus, the energy efficient air conditioning, and the Building Energy Efficiency Guidelines for release at COP15 which will
demonstrate the power that a company committed to environmental protection has to change the world.
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6. TEDxPedition Hong Kong
As the final stop of the TEDxPedition, the delegation will not only experience the flourishing economy of Hong Kong but meet with
environmental ambassadors who enforce sustainability and push for renewable energy initiatives amongst the local community. Over
the past 20 years, the Hong Kong government has raised issues pertaining to solar energy, waste renewal and conservation. Our
delegation will offer expedition insight and further discuss possible solutions in minimizing our carbon footprint in South East Asia.
Work on the final documentation of the expedition will be arranged before departure and this project will be completed by the
end of the month to be edited and published for students, entrepreneurs and communities across China and the UK.
The
Fellowship
The concept of the Fellowship Scheme is a one-year leadership program followed by work experience with socially aware partners
in China. These will include social enterprises, NGOs, venture philanthropists and larger firms with a commitment to social
responsibility. There will be meetings organised with partner universities during the tour to promote constructive, mutually
beneficial dialogue and understanding and to develop a world-class network. In the summer the Fellows will spend 2-3 months
undertaking a placement with one or more of our partners where they will make a real impact by tackling real problems and
coming up with innovative ideas to supplement existing practice. Throughout the course of the year, Suchen Fellows will attend
various international conferences on sustainable enterprise (e.g. Tallberg, Skoll Forum etc) whom we have already contacted with a
view to forming some sort of a partnership.
Our aim is that our Fellows will complete the scheme, having gained a thorough understanding of not only the opportunities
available in China but also the sustainability issues facing China (on both a holistic and specific level). They will develop a strong
entrepreneurial mindset having engaged with our partnered social enterprises, both by seeing how they function and by having an
active role in their operation. Our Fellows will gain massive insight into business processes in China – for example how to register
a company. Moreover, they will also understand the various historical and cultural influences that affect the manner in which
business is conducted in China, and also gain an understanding of the role of government in Chinese business. The networks our
Fellows will build over the course of their fellowship will also prove invaluable in the future when they are conducting their own
enterprises.
We believe that it is through active education in schemes such as ours where real change can occur in attitudes towards wealth
creation and its environmental consequences. Although the full success of the Fellowship Scheme will not be measurable until our
Fellows have gone on to establish themselves in the world of social enterprise and have contributed to the sustainability movement,
there are other measures we can use to gauge the success of our Fellowship Scheme. Examples include the internship provider
feedback and their input and success of next year‘s Suchen Expedition and TEDx conferences.
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Expedition’s role in Suchen Fellowship Selection process
The participants will be ten highly motivated students and young professionals
with strong interests in the area sustainability and entrepreneurship selected
globally.
The incentive to maximize expedition engagement will be a scheme whereby the
three top performing TEDxPeditioners will have all their initial sign up fee (£500)
awarded to them on completion of the event publication. Two of these will also
be awarded Suchen followship status for 2010. The selection criteria used will be
stringent with assessment half based on performance in the conferences and on
projects and the other half based on written assessment about outcomes and
plans going forward in self development as well as innovative concepts to work
on. The written assessment concerns their contributions to the expedition report.
Suchen fellows must show a clear aptitude for seeking out
creatively designed solutions.
A firm grasp of technology and business as well as
possessing the hands-on ability to implement, communicate
and inspire are essential for success.
-Can you recommend any bright, young proven change-maker that could potentially become a Suchen fellow?
-Do you know someone who would be suitable for the TEDxPedition?
-Do you feel that you have what it takes to be on the Suchen 2010 fellowship program or the TEDxPedition?
-If so, please email leon.oxford@gmail.com with your suggested candidates and a reason why they should be
considered.
Please note applicants must not exceed 30 years of age.
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Our People
Michael Naylor
Introducing some key members of the TedxPedition team;
Advisory Board Chair
Michael Naylor is a Non Executive Director of Jupiter Green Investment Trust plc, which aims to generate
long-term capital growth through investing in a diverse portfolio of companies providing environmental solutions.
He is the co-founder of Forrester Partners, an international consultancy and advisory business focused on the
environmental and clean energy investment sectors.
Mr. Naylor is an advisory board member of the American Council of Renewable Energy, a not for profit (501.3c)
organization based in Washington DC, where he is Chairman of the CEO Council. Additionally Mr. Naylor is a
member of the prestigious International Advisory Board of SOAS at The University London.
He was an early stage investor in Aquamarine Power, today a successful marine renewable business based in
Scotland, and was a board member from 2005 – 2007. During his board tenure the shareholder valuation of Aquamarine Power
increased significantly to be recognised as one of the most successful venture-backed renewables businesses in Europe.
Mr. Naylor is a trusted adviser to some of the world's leading Chief Executives and is also long term investor in Suchen.
Sir John Houghton
Advisor
Sir John Houghton is currently Honorary Scientist of the Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research at the
Meteorological Office; Honorary Scientist at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory; a Trustee of the Shell
Foundation; and Chairman of the John Ray Initiative. Previously Sir John was a Member of the UK Government
Panel on Sustainable Development (1994-2000); Chairman, Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution
(1992-98); Chairman or Co-Chairman, Scientific Assessment Working Group, Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (1988-2002); Director General (later Chief Executive), UK Meteorological Office (1983-91);
Director Appleton, Science and Engineering Research Council (also Deputy Director, Rutherford Appleton
Laboratory), (1979-83); and Professor of Atmospheric Physics, Oxford University (1976-83). During the 1970‘s
Sir John was also Principal Investigator for Space Experiments on NASA Spacecraft.
Core Team
Leon Chen
President of TedxPedition. Founder of Suchen
Leon was born in Sichuan province China. He is currently reading for a Masters in Engineering Science and is a
Man-Oxford Institute of Quantitative Finance scholar after achieving the top Mathematics grade in the UK in
national exams. Leon represented the UK at the 18th EU Contest for Young Scientist in Stockholm and has been
a member of the BA National Science Fair judging panel for the past three years. He is a fellow and organizer of
Startingbloc's London Institute of Social Innovation Conference and is also a Windsor Leadership Fellow.
He developed his understanding of enterprise by working with Oxbridge Applications then establishing
Gateways newspaper and finally going on to work for Peter Jones of Dragons' Den. Leon represented the GB
Triathlon team in two World Championships, achieving 5th for his Under 20 age group in 2006, Lausanne.
In the summer of 2008, he returned amidst the aftermath of the Sichuan Earthquake and worked to set up a library and youth club.
Since then Leon has participated on an expedition to Antarctica with BP and was a panelist at the Tallberg Forum in Sweden.
Recently he has also been appointed as ―
Climate Advocate‖ for the British Council.
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Chenyu Zheng
Director of TedxPedition Beijing
Chenyu is a rising sophomore at Princeton University in the U.S., studying economics and environmental
studies. On campus, she is involved with Greening Princeton, College Council, and leads a soup kitchen project
on Saturdays. In 2008, Chenyu volunteered at the Main Press Center of the Beijing Olympics, organized
volunteers and spearheaded recycling projects at the Obama Campaign Office in Florida. Chenyu firmly
believes in her mission to spread environmental education and awareness through effective communications,
especially among youth. A recent trip to Africa has enticed her understanding of sustainability, in a way that
does not necessarily require expensive technical solutions. Instead, the focus should be on adding values to local
materials and to help the poor to empower themselves. She believes that through TedxPedition, future leaders of the 21st century will
form a platform to exchange ideas of creating a sustainable future. At the same time, travelling through China’s four most enriching
places will leave an more tangible impression of what can be done to advocate sustainability and end poverty in China.
Jaclyn Tsui
Director of TedxPedition Hong Kong
Having graduated from the Imperial College of London in Biological Sciences and Business Management in
2008, Jaclyn has since been traveling South East Asia, embracing cultures and the study of human impact on
developing cities and rural areas. The past year has truly been an eye opener for her and she hopes to take the
opportunity to empower youth with the motivation to realize the delicate surroundings around them.
In the past, Jaclyn has also taken up work experiences in the real estate industry in China, exposing her to the
understanding of the recent boom in LEED certified developments. She thoroughly believes the enforcement of
green initiatives and education in China's infrastructure will help build a fundamental understanding of a more
environmentally responsible and conscious living.
Jaclyn believes that this first ever TEDxPedition Hong Kong forum is a hugely exciting opportunity that will bring together today's
most innovative thinkers and doers in a context that will enable them to set the tone for many pioneering ventures to come.
Alex Dibben
Webmaster
Alex currently studies Enterprise in software development at the University of Portsmouth and has invested his
time into learning the specifics of online business, with a variety of business, creative and technical approaches.
This has allowed him to publish an impressive portfolio of websites on the web and support all of this with a
complete online service providing everything a business would need to make their business a success on the
World Wide Web. Having built the Suchen site Alex is now looking to promote the Suchen cause through the
use of online mediums, helping it to have a global reach with maximum impact. Alex is currently developing
Suchen‘s conference website.
Fiona Lee
Director of Marketing
Fiona is in her second year studying Engineering, Economics, and Management at St. Hilda‘s College, Oxford.
She was involved in the Engineering Society in 2008/09 as an Event Officer who was responsible of organising a
range of events for the society‘s sponsors, including presentations and career fairs for the McLaren racing team.
Fiona has a passion for entrepreneurship and sustainable development in businesses globally. She is particularly
interested in the exploration of the potentialities of China in becoming one of the next leading nations in the world
of economy and manufacturing as she believes China has the strengths and absolute advantages to do so.
She believes it is necessary for the general public to acquire a fundamental understanding and knowledge about
sustainability owing to its significance in the continual growth of global economy.
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Laura Folkes
UK base Liaison
Having graduated from the University of Bristol, Laura is working at Forrester Partners, an advisory business in
the sustainability sector. She has been involved in Suchen as secretary and is currently working on the TEDx
conference side. She is very excited about the prospects of TEDxPedition and believes that through using the
best aspects of Chinese and western thinking thorough TEDx, new ideas and methodologies will emerge to
become something both groundbreaking and long-lasting.
Meng Zhao
Dr. Meng Zhao works at Said Business School, Oxford University. His research interests build at the
intersection of organization theory, strategy, and social innovation. His work has won the Aspen Institute‘s
2008 Dissertation Proposal Award. Meng is a visiting fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, and a doctoral
researcher affiliated with the European Venture Philanthropy Association and Skoll Centre for Social
Entrepreneurship. He served as panel coordinator and speaker at the Skoll World Forum; organized and
presented in the first international conference on social enterprise in China; and contributed to the Skoll
Center‘s paper streams on social enterprise. He is a co-founder of Youth Business Development International,
a global social enterprise proposal competition based in Oxford. He also served as a research assistant and
consultant at the Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Joanna Da Lu
Director of Logistics and Strategy
Joanna Da Lu is an Economics and Anthropology major at Yale University from San Diego, California, by way of Tokyo,
China, and Singapore. With a wide background of knowledge from finance to fashion, she specializes in organising large-scale events
for a variety of private companies and school institutions. For the past few summers, she has explored several roles in the corporate
world through internships with Humana, Inc. and Sino Group, and plans to embark on an Around-the-World trip when she graduates.
Since she has long fostered an interest in sustainable development, Joanna plans to contribute her skills and insight to the TEDx team
in China, never losing sight of TED’s mission of spreading ideas and inspiring people. Joanna believes TEDxPedition through China,
is an ideal platform for the vision of Suchen and the ideas of TED speakers to be absorbed and realized by the public.
Ya Meng Hu
Conference coordinator
Yameng is a second year student at Renmin University of China, majoring in agricultural economic management. Hailing from
Longquan, Zhejiang Province, Yameng enjoys reading and playing the piano. Additionally, she is actively involved with the Young
Volunteers Association and AIESEC. Concerned about the environmental implications of China‘s rapidly expanding economy,
Yameng joined theTEDxPedition team to promote the awareness of sustainable development in China.
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Time Line: Suchen development
2008: July
29th – Concept of Suchen conceived by Leon Chen whilst working in the Sichuan earthquake zone. Vision and objectives
drawn up 
October
1st – Formation of core Suchen committee in Oxford
November
25th – First sum of funding secured through private donation by Great Wall fund
management
December
1st – Michael Naylor of Forrester Partners joins as Advisory Board Chairman
20th – Suchen name confirmed, representing Sustainable Chinese Enterprise
2009: January
17th – Inaugural committee meeting (above)
20th – Suchen starts process of registering as Oxford Society
27th - Suchen presented in the Houses of Commons, to over 50 Lords and politicians
28th – Earthwatch agrees to support Suchen
February
2nd – Bird and Bird offers advisory to register Suchen as a not-for-profit
organisation
4th – Skoll World Forum offers places to Suchen members
8th – Support from Youth Business Development confirmed
10th – Sir John Houghton joins advisory board
13th – Jane Goodall supports Suchen at Oxford
18th – Website (www.suchenglobal.org) goes live
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March
5th – Date set for Suchen‘s China conference and expedition
6th –Suchen members invited to Global Humanitarian Youth Forum
20st – Student delegates invited
25th – Suchen departs on BP Antarctica Expedition
28th – Marketing for TEDx begins
April
1st – Key companies contacted
5th – Dates and structure of Fellowship Programme set
20th – Application and selection process for Fellowship Programme confirmed
May
1st – Speakers confirmed
7th – Delegate accommodation confirmed
10th – Suchen poses questions to Jim Hansen at the Copenhagen Climate Change Science
summit ahead of COP15 in December
June
6th – Post-conference
10th –Suchen awarded funding award from UnLtd
18th –Suchen invited to attend Kofi Annan‘s Global Humanitarian Forum
22nd – President participates on ―n
ew leaders‖ program at Tallberg
26th – President invited as panellist at Tallberg Forum
July
5th – Suchen operations team arrive in Beijing
30th – Conference logistics finalised
August
5th – Other Suchen TEDx team arrive in Beijing
15th – All speakers finalised and program printed
September
4th – Participants arrive in Beijing
5h – TEDxPedition Beijing
6th –TEDxPedition commences
21h – Suchen Fellows for 2009/10 announced
25th – Press conference in Beijing
29th – TEDxPedition book drafted
October
15th – Suchen 2010 team finalised
29th – TEDxPedition journal published in UK and China
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Funding
Suchen has secured funding of £13,000 from private funders as well as from Great Wall Fund Management Co, a company based in
Shenzhen. We have also secured seed funding from UnLtd and are currently being reviewed for higher level funding.
Suchen still require additional funding to ensure that this year‘s TEDxPedition runs within the budget outlined above. We welcome
your organisation to sponsor any individual TEDx conference or the entire TEDxPedition China.
Please express your interest as a sponsor by emailing leon.oxford@gmail.com
Images of the proposed Dongtang Eco-city near Shanghai
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