Public Lecture
Wednesday 21st November 2012, 6.30pm to 8pm, New Theatre, East Building, LSE
Speaker: Gerard Lemos
Chair: Athar Hussain
Visiting and working in factory and farming communities in and around Chongqing, Gerard Lemos asked hundreds of ordinary Chinese people their fears and dreams and has analysed those views to create a detailed and compelling picture of the concerns of ordinary Chinese people – about health care, unemployment, education, pensions and the loss of community and tradition - far away from the go-go cities of the Eastern seaboard.
He argues in his new book 'The End of the Chinese Dream: Why Chinese people fear the future' that there was an optimistic moment for ordinary Chinese people in the 1980s, when even poor farmers and factory workers could look forward to a more secure, prosperous and comfortable future. But the redoubling of reform since the 1990s has left millions of Chinese people feeling left out and left behind. Contrary to the popular stereotype, they are not accepting their exclusion with stoicism. They protest continuously. Local officials, who are often incompetent and sometimes corrupt, do not want more senior officials to know the truth about what is going on. So senior officials are often caught by surprise and scrambling to respond effectively. At a time of economic slowdown and leadership transition – which can result in policy paralysis – these social dynamics are highly problematic for Chinese leaders, creating and contributing to the sense of an uncertain future.
Mr Gerard Lemos leads the research team at Lemos&Crane. He is a British social policy expert and a former visiting Professor at Chongqing Technology and Business University. He is the author of several books and reports about social policy and supporting vulnerable people. His publications include 'The Communities We Have Lost and Can Regain' (co-authored with Michael Young). He is Chairman of the Money Advice Service, appointed by the FSA and an independent director of the Payments Council. He is also Vice-President of the British Board of Film Classification. He chaired the Board of Trustees of the British Council from 2008 to 2010 having been Deputy Chair from 2005. Gerard has formerly been Chair of Akram Khan Dance Company, an Audit Commissioner, a Civil Service Commissioner and a non-executive director of Crown Prosecution Service.
Professor Athar Hussain| is Director of the Asia Research Centre.
Additional Information
This event is free and open to all with no ticket required. Entry is on a first come, first served basis. For any queries email arc@lse.ac.uk| or call 020 7955 7615.