Suchen – Sustainable Chinese Enterprise

Introduction

Suchen is a not‐for‐profit social enterprise, born from an understanding that our generationfaces two great challenges in the years ahead. The first is a profound crisis of economic, social andenvironmental sustainability and the second is the astonishing rise of the People’s Republic of Chinato wealth and global influence. The Suchen approach comes from a firm belief that not only arethese two challenges inextricably linked, but the solutions can only be found in studying these twoforces together. We are convinced that in the globalised world of today these challenges are theprerogative of no one particular industry, nation or agency but common to us all. Never before havewe lived in an era where the young and the committed have had so many resources at their disposalto be the change they want to see in this world, and as such Suchen’s vision is to bring togetherstudents from across the world in co‐operation towards making China sustainable.

The Suchen Conferences

Objectives

The Suchen Conferences will be held on the 5th of September, 2009 in Beijing and on the 6thof December, 2009 in London. The objective of the Suchen Conferences is to educate our invitedstudent delegates by providing a platform for intellectual debate and academic scholarship onsustainability in China and to stimulate discussion on possible solutions. We will bring togetherstudents from around the world with an interest in creating a more sustainable China. Theconferences will also provide the platform for the exchange of ideas and theories on how this goalcan be brought about. World class keynote speakers and authorities on social, environmental andeconomic sustainability shall drive the discourse throughout the duration of the conferences.

Through these conferences, we will:

• Illustrate the importance of sustainability in the 21st century and its profound role ininternational geopolitical policies, global business strategies, national and regionalprosperity, and cultural evolution.
• Stimulate discussion upon and inspire solutions to the critical sustainability challenges Chinaand the world is facing.
• Create a dialogue platform between the world‐leading practitioners of sustainableenterprise and the leaders of the tomorrow, enhancing communications among theConference participants and spreading the influence of the Conference beyond the event.
• Gain a first‐hand experience of the recent development of environment issues in China.
• Launch the Suchen Fellowship Programme, selecting our first generation of Fellows.
• Produce a publication documenting the ideas and challenges brought up in the conference.

The Suchen Fellowship Scheme

The concept of the Fellowship Scheme is to have a one‐year leadership program followed bywork experience with socially aware partners in China. These will include social enterprises, NGOs,venture philanthropists and larger firms with a commitment to social responsibility. The fellows willbe sent to China for a round tour of all our partners in Easter to study their activities and developpractical insights. There will be meetings organised with partner universities during the tour topromote constructive, mutually beneficial dialogue and understanding and to develop a world‐classnetwork. In the summer the Fellows will spend 2‐3 months undertaking a placement with one ormore of our partners where they will make a real impact by tackling real problems and coming upwith innovative ideas to supplement existing practice. Throughout the course of the year, SuchenFellows will attend various international conferences on sustainable enterprise (e.g. Tallberg, SkollForum etc) whom we have already contacted with a view to forming some sort of a partnership.