Shaping the path forward: The 2025 Greater China Business Conference

The 19th annual Greater China Business Conference (GCBC) brought together over 27 distinguished speakers and nearly 300 attendees from across industries, geographies and generations at the Global Hub in Evanston. This year’s theme Bridging Innovation and Influence: China’s Role on the Global Stage sparked timely and candid conversations on how business is evolving amid global shifts.

Three GCBC team members, including a Northwestern University undergraduate student, share more about their experiences and how the conference came to life through thoughtful planning, cross-cultural dialogue and a shared commitment to global collaboration. 

Hanhai Xu ’26 Two-Year MBA Program  
GCBC Operation Director 

It’s my great honor to be part of the GCBC, and the fireside chat with The Hon. Dr. Kevin Rudd AC, Australia’s ambassador to the U.S., moderated by Dean Francesca Cornelli was one of my conference highlights. Their conversation unpacked U.S.-China relations, underscoring the role of academic and business communities in restoring trust and cooperation. 

Ambassador Rudd shared his perspectives on China’s evolving economic priorities and the broader dynamics of U.S.-China relations. Highlighting China’s ongoing efforts to boost domestic consumption, stabilize the property sector and revitalize private investment, he stressed the importance of recognizing structural changes — and their global implications. Against the backdrop of strategic competition, Rudd underscored the need for constructive dialogue on trade, technology and investment.  

He also emphasized that business leaders and students play a vital role in fostering cross-cultural understanding and rebuilding trust and advocated for deeper mutual understanding — foundational for successful global engagement. In areas such as public health and climate change, he pointed to continued opportunities for collaboration — reminding the audience that empathy, communication and a global mindset are essential in navigating today’s interconnected world. 

I also deeply appreciated the meaningful interaction between Kellogg students and Greater China alumni from both Kellogg and Northwestern. These alumni are business leaders representing a diverse set of industries worldwide.  

The success of this year’s conference would not have been possible without the generous support of the alumni. Not only as panelists, but also through marketing, sponsorship and their behind-the-scenes contributions. Their insights and presence reinforced the strength of the Kellogg community, making students feel supported and inspired to pay it forward. Many alumni also offered thoughtful feedback and suggestions for future events, as the community looks ahead to the 20th anniversary of GCBC next year. 

Jing Chen ’25 MBA 
GCBC Speaker Vice President 

As a second-year MBA student, leading the effort to introduce the most impactful Healthcare Panel at this year’s Greater China Business Conference (GCBC) was one of the most meaningful highlights of my final quarter at Kellogg. 

I still remember the first day our GCBC team came together to discuss what we hoped to achieve through the conference. One theme that resonated across the group was the desire to create space for open dialogue and reduce bias, especially in areas where geopolitical tensions often cloud the facts. For me, this goal felt especially personal. Coming from the biopharma industry, I’ve seen how it can become entangled in political crossfire — despite its foundation in science and patient care. 

We designed the GCBC healthcare panel to spotlight the rapid rise of Chinese biotech on the global stage, and Kellogg was right there in the conversation. As the first to commit to the panel, the early and enthusiastic yes from Scott Lipman ’18 MBA, Chief Business Officer of Avenzo Therapeutics, gave us the momentum we needed.  

Minghua Lu ’98 MBA, CEO of eChinaHealth, generously opened his network and introduced us to key leaders who ultimately helped shape the speaker lineup. I’m especially grateful to Professor Craig Garthwaite for moderating the discussions and graciously spending his Sunday morning with us while bringing clarity, curiosity and a steady tone that grounded the conversation.  

While the idea for the panel grew out of broader team discussions and industry trends, Professor Garthwaite’s inclusion of HUTCHMED in our Healthcare Strategy class helped us see the company as a timely and relevant example to explore further. HUTCHMED is a China-based biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing innovative oncology therapies.  

Its story reflects cross-border collaboration and the complexities of going global in a highly regulated industry. Having Dr. Michael Shi, the head of R&D and CMO, join the panel felt like a natural extension of that classroom conversation, this time with the real decision-makers in the room.  

Throughout the panel, we had open, honest conversations about some of the most pressing questions. Kellogg created a space where we could really lean into tough topics. As Professor Garthwaite reminded us of when it comes to innovation, “Ultimately, the goal is to prolong life, improve quality of life and provide therapeutic benefit.” 

If I had to choose one word to sum up this experience, it would be the Chinese character “合”, which represents harmony, unity and coming together. That spirit was present in every part of the journey. It was in the way our GCBC organizing team collaborated. It was the support we received from across the Kellogg community. But most meaningfully, it came through the connections we built across borders.

In a time when headlines often focus on division, competition and tension, we hope our efforts serve as a gentle reminder that collaboration is still possible — dialogue matters. When we come together, we carry the power to build something better than what divides us.  

Seth Ye Class of 2027, Northwestern undergraduate 
GCBC Operation Executive 

The conference’s theme Shaping the Path Forward – Bridging Viewpoints and Embracing Turbulence quietly became our working principle. 

As the first-ever undergraduate team member from Northwestern University to join the GCBC executive team, I worked alongside a group of highly detailed and relentlessly resourceful individuals. I saw the team embody the conference’s theme in every moment of preparation from agendas and logistics to tightly timed execution.

The conference work began in early December, and I remember when Karl Wang ’25 MBA, conference co-chair, shared the working plan for the spring event. We scrolled through more than 200 action items across 17 columns, everything from speaker lodging to swag logistics.

Over the next few months, each function moved steadily forward. The speaker team successfully confirmed 27 guests across five key industries. Marketing rolled out four coordinated waves of promotion on WeChat group chats, LinkedIn and other social media platforms. Meanwhile, operations handled all core logistics, so we could be ready for the big day. 

Overseeing our conference gifts, I presented each speaker with a bag of Chinese oolong tea and a Kellogg water bottle — representative of both cultural heritage and the Kellogg brand. Many speakers were surprised with one smiling and saying, “You’ve thought of everything.”

It was in these in-between moments that I saw how thoughtful planning and execution could speak louder than any script. That day taught me how to stay steady while things move quickly, how to pay attention to small details without losing sight of the whole and how good teamwork can make complex coordination feel natural. 

I look back now with pride at how the whole executive team made this year’s conference theme come to life from the conversations on stage and in between sessions to the collective behind-the-scenes effort. People met and ideas moved. The day unfolded exactly as we’d hoped: full, thoughtful and alive.  

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