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The Harvard Africa Business and Investment Club presents:
China in Africa: An Evaluation of Chinese Investment
The relationship between China and Africa has come under scrutiny over the past two decades. While some accuse China of unfairly profiting from Africa's lack of resources, others praise its investments in Africa as beneficial for economic development. This multifaceted conversation about the nature of Chinese business practices, economic activities, and investment strategies on the continent is one of the most vital of the 21st century.
Panelists include:
Irene Sun, former McKinsey consultant, is a joint-degree MPP and MBA candidate at Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School. She has conducted field work on Chinese manufacturing investment in Nigeria and on a business case for a Chinese construction company to invest in Kenyan vocational education. Prior to beginning graduate studies, Irene served as an Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company's Washington, D.C. office. She also served as a teacher for junior high school students in Nigeria. Irene earned an A.B. in History and Science from Harvard College.
Armand Dieng, former IMF economist, is a second year dual degree candidate in the Wharton MBA and the Harvard Kennedy School MPA/ID programs. Armand will join the Brookings Institute's Africa Growth Initiative in Washington D.C. this summer. Prior to graduate school, he was the International Monetary Fund (IMF) country economist for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where he worked with government officials on structural reforms in sovereign debt restructuring and monetary policy. In 2009, he launched the first subsidiary of Ecobank, the largest pan-African bank, in the DRC. Armand began his career as an auditor for PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2007.
Liang Xu is a PhD candidate in African History at Harvard University. He is working on a dissertation that examines Asian investment and South African industrial policies during the apartheid era. He earned his first PhD in International Relations from Peking University, from which he also earned his B.A. in International Relations in 2005. Liang lives with his wife and young son in Cambridge, MA.
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