TITLE:  The China Wide Web:  The information Dilemma and the Domestsication of  Cyberspace

Qitong Tom Cao
Major:  Political Science; Computer Science (minor); MS&E (Computational Social Science) (coterm)

Abstract:

In order to preempt severe public discontent, an authoritarian government needs its citizens to convey their true political attitudes. But it does not want their attitudes to be communicated among themselves, which may trigger protests or even subversion in case widespread dissatisfaction exists and becomes citizens common knowledge. This information dilemma thus poses a fundamental threat to the stability and governance of all authoritarian regimes. This thesis, however, argues that the Chinese government is resolving the information dilemma through an innovative approach  by domesticating its internet. On this domestic cyberspace, social media companies delete unfavorable content and report user data to the regime, which can be analyzed to reveal citizens true political attitudes. As such, the government manages both to restrict communication of discontent and to gain knowledge of the political inclination of the public. I will demonstrate formally that this domestic cyberspace presents an optimal solution for authoritarian regimes, and that the Chinese government could attract the bulk of their internet users to the domestic cyberspace despite its inability to fully block access to foreign websites. Finally, I will show empirically that domestic social media also helps increase propaganda efficacy, which reduces perceived level of discontent and further consolidates regime stability. Together, this strategy may potentially afford the regime an information advantage enormous enough to secure its stability without fear of overthrow.

TITLE:  Whose California?  Power, Property Rights, and the Legacy of the 1851 California Land Act

Marin Callaway
Major: International Relations; Spanish (minor)
 

Abstract:

Date:        July 3^rd, 2018

Time:        17:00 – 17:45 Performance; 17:45 – 18:20 Sharing and discussion 

Registration link: https://yoopay.cn/event/78672656 

The Theora Trio is a dynamic group of Stanford students who share a deep love and appreciation for classical music. They are the first prize winners of the 2013 American Protégé International Competition (Chamber Music Division) and the 2013 Schoenfeld International String Competition (Youth Chamber Music Division).

“We are a group of Stanford students who keep finding ourselves coming back to classical music. Admist the iPhones and the Fitbits, we keep hammering away alone in dimly lit practice rooms on these clunky instruments made of wood.

Why? A computer could effortlessly produce the sounds we labor so intensely to make. Maybe we’re crazy. Maybe we’re onto something. We don’t have definite answers. But we’re still playing, so join us as we wonder aloud, through music and words, about what in this centuries-old art keeps speaking to us in these fast-moving times.”

Danna Xue, Cello

Danna is a junior student at Stanford University studying Mechanical Engineering. She has previously researched with Stanford’s Computer Science Department and worked at StartX.  Danna studied with her mother Pin Fei Tang, professor at La Sierra University, and Cal state LA for nine years. She currently studies with professor Christopher Costanza at Standford , cellist of the St. Lawrence String Quartet. Danna  received first prize in the 2017 Stanford Concerto Competition, 2013 ASTA-LA competition, the 2014 Colburn Music Academy Concerto Competition, the 2013 American Protégé International Music Talent Competition, and the 2013 Schoenfeld International String Competition at Youth Chamber Music Division and Youth Aficionado Division.

Niuniu Teo, Piano

Niuniu Teo studied piano with Yoshikazu Nagai at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music for six years, and continued her studies under Thomas Schultz at Stanford. She has participated in competitions at state and national levels, winning first place at the Pacific Musical Society’s Centennial Competition, as well as first place at the MTAC 2015 Concerto competition, among others. At Stanford, she participated in several chamber music groups and won first place in the Stanford Symphony Orchestra’s annual concerto competition in 2015, and performed as their soloist in 2016 in Bing Concert Hall. She graduated from Stanford in 2016 with a major in History and minors in Creative Writing and Economics. She recently earned her Master’s in China Studies from Peking University and will continue her study as a History PhD student at the University of Chicago next year.

Shannon Xue, Violin

Shannon Xue graduated from Stanford with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and from the Stanford School of Medicine with a Masters in Science in Community Health and Prevention Research in 2018. She is the founder of former director of SHIFT and health++ and the General Director of ImpactMed. In fall 2018, Shannon will be joining McKinsey’s healthcare team in Silicon Valley. Shannon has studied violin with her father, professor Suli Xue, violinist at the Los Angeles Philharmonic since the age of seven. She has been studying her violin at Stanford with Professor Geoff Nuttall, the first violinist of St. Lawrence String Quartet.  In 2013 Shannon won first prize in Solo and Chamber Music at American Protégé International Music Competition, and Schoenfield International String Competition in Youth Chamber Music Division and Youth Aficionado division in Hong Kong.

Program

1)  Piano Trio No.4 in Bb Major Op. 11                                                    L.V. Beethoven

         3rd Movement (Theme and Variation)           

2)  Theme from The Butterfly Lovers                                      He Zhanhao, Chen Gang

                                                                                                      Arr.  Jiang Yan / Jiang Yin

3)  Five Pieces for violin, Cello and Piano                                         Dmitri Shstakovich              

4)  Trio No.1 in B Major,   Op.8                                                             Johannes Brahms

        1st Movement  ( Allegro con brio)

5)  Jasmine Flower (Chinese Folk Tune)                                             Arr.  George  Chen

6)  Invierno Porteno   (Winter)                                                                   Astor Piazzolla

7)  Primavera Portena   (Spring)                                                                 Astor Piazzolla

Over the last decade, significant strides have been made in medical research, which leads to great improvement in human health. During this period, Chinese government has made important progress in promoting and managing medical innovations. Chinese State Drug Administration (SDA, former FDA) is now a formal agency member of the international council for harmonisation of technical requirements for pharmaceuticals for human use (ICH). With further integration of China into the global pharmaceutical research and development, how government regulatory agencies, the related law and regulations can promote industry innovation, while enhance their accountability and responsibility remains an important question. This forum is organized to address this need.

Program: This forum provides a platform for high-level discussions on this topic by Chinese and US scholars from academia, experts from the Chinese Food and Drug Administrations, and R&D experts from biomedical industries. On June 8-9, 2018, the forum will host keynote speech sessions, invited talks, and panel discussion sessions. With collaborations from Chinese evidence based medicine association, we will discuss methods and policy related to monitoring drug safety, novel clinical trial design, and applications of modern statistical, AI and machine learning methods in drug development. On June 10, 2018, a half-day short course will be offered on “Statistical Methods for Medical Product Safety Evaluation.”

Goals:  Through this brainstorming and exchange, we want to identify research priorities and collaborative mechanisms for international scholars from academia, regulatory agencies and industry working together to promote biomedical innovations in an efficient and orderly manner.

Format: Informal discussion on biomedical innovations and role of regulatory science.

Fees: The Workshop on June 8-9, 2018 is free and the half-day short course on June 10 is RMB800.

Details and registration['.,: https://www.eventbank.cn/event/15419/

Contact Info: lutian@stanford.edu