CHINESE CULTURAL FOUNDATION
The Chinese Cultural Foundation welcomed 300 distinguished guests to its 2017 Gala dinner at the Yale Club to celebrate its15th Anniversary and to announce the Maurice R. Greenberg Global Leadership Award.
John W. Allen, Co-Founder and Trustee of the Chinese Cultural Foundation greeted the guests and acknowledged the wonderful support of sponsors and their key role in making the event such a success. He then described the Maurice R. Greenberg Global Leadership Award and it’s ongoing significance in identifying and supporting others who follow in Mr. Greenberg’s giant footsteps. They will carry on his legacy of contributing to the betterment of our global society in so many ways and particularly in building strong relations between China and the United States. Mr. Allen also pointed out the Maurice R. Greenberg 2018 Commemorative Calendar which was presented as a gift to all attendees.
Elizabeth B. Wang, President and Co-Founder of the Chinese Cultural Foundation, provided a video retrospective of CCF’s 15 year history. It highlighted special events held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, at the Palace of Versailles in Paris, and at the United Nations and many other venues in the United States.
The highlight of the evening was a special Conversation with Maurice R. Greenberg, Chairman and CEO of C.V. Starr & Companies. Chinese Ambassador Zhang Qiyue, Consul General in New York and Yale University President Peter Salovey, on the importance of culture and education in China-U.S. relations.
Mr. Greenberg was delighted to receive the historic sculpture of ”Washington Crossing the Delaware” by renowned sculptress Dr. Ellen Qiong Zhao Schicktanz and a impressive Tiger painting by famous Chinese artist Xinle Ma.
Other distinguished guests included Ambassador Nicholas Platt, former President of the Asia Society, Ambassador James Woolsey, Former Director of the CIA, Ambassador Paul Speltz, former U.S. Representative of the Asia Development Bank, Steven A. Orlins, President of the National Committee on United Stated-China Relations，Florence Davis, President of the Starr Foundation, X.Rick Niu, President and CEO, of Starr Strategic Holdings, Chien Chung Pei, Partner of The Pei Architects, Steven Rockefeller, III, Prince Preeti Sriratana, Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia, and Mrs. Patricia Kluge.
Congratulatory messages were also received from Sir James D. Wolfensohn, former President of the World Bank, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo.
The Chinese Cultural Foundation's 2017 Awards were presented to Peter Salovey, President of Yale University, Chengyue Jiao, G.M. China Merchants Bank New York and Dr. Ellen Qiong Zhao Schicktanz for their outstanding contributions to fostering Chinese cultural and understanding.
This event held at the Yale Club is particularly appropriate given how significant Mr. Greenberg’s contributions have been to Yale through The Greenberg Conference Center, The Greenberg World Fellows Program and The Greenberg China Initiative.
The Chinese Cultural Foundation (“CCF”) is a New York based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Its mission is to share the understanding of China’s 5,000 year history and culture with the world. CCF believes that cultural events serve as a catalyst in bringing together leaders from various economic, social and political sectors to achieve their common goals.
The Maurice R. Greenberg Global Leadership Award is the centerpiece of the Chinese Cultural Foundation. It recognizes those individuals and organizations whose achievements reflect Mr. Greenberg’s ideals and global vision.
The Maurice R. Greenberg Commemorative 2018 Calendar
Congratulatory Letters
New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo
Sir James D. Wolfensohn
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio
Special Introductions and 2017 Honorees
Founding Trustees of the Chinese Cultural Foundation
Press and Media Coverage
Xinhua News Agency
http://www.xinhuanet.com/world/2017-12/20/c_129770745.htm
People’s Daily
http://world.people.com.cn/n1/2017/1220/c1002-29718411.html
http://world.people.com.cn/n1/2017/1220/c1002-29718411-2.html
http://world.people.com.cn/n1/2017/1220/c1002-29718411-3.html
http://world.people.com.cn/n1/2017/1220/c1002-29718411-4.html
http://world.people.com.cn/n1/2017/1220/c1002-29718411-5.html
http://world.people.com.cn/n1/2017/1220/c1002-29717806.html
China Daily
http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/epaper/2017-12/19/content_35335452.htm
Sinovision English Channel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PqHqx6F6Y8&t=13s
Sinovision Chinese Channel
http://video.sinovision.net/?id=42393&sts=1513839254541
China Press
http://ny.uschinapress.com/m/spotlight/2017/12-19/134963.html
http://newyork.china-consulate.org/chn/lgxw/t1520835.htm
Anniversary Lead Sponsors
The Starr Foundation was established in 1955 by Cornelius Vander Starr, an insurance entrepreneur who founded C.V. Starr & Co. and other companies later combined by his successor, Maurice R. Greenberg into what became the American International Group, Inc. Mr. Starr, a pioneer of globalization, set up his first insurance venture in Shanghai in 1919.
Mr. Starr died in 1968 at the age of 76, leaving his estate to the Foundation. The Foundation currently has assets of approximately $1.5 billion, making it one of the largest private foundations in the United States.
The Foundation makes grants in a number of areas, including education, medicine and healthcare, human needs, public policy, culture and the environment.
Established in 1987 and headquartered in Shenzhen, China. China Merchants Bank is China’s first joint-stock commercial bank and also the first bank to attend the national experiment for the promotion of China’s banking industry reform driven by endeavors from outside the government.
Since its inception 30 years ago, China Merchants Banks has grown with China’s economic progress from a small regional bank into the sixth-largest commercial bank listed on the Shanghai and Hong Kong Stock Exchange. As of the end of June 2016, China Merchants Bank has 133 branches, 1,628 sub-branches in more than 120 cities of Mainland China, 5 overseas branches and 3 overseas representative offices, with more than 70,000 employees.
Founded in 1701, Yale is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States.
Yale has graduated five U.S. Presidents, 19 U.S. Supreme Court Justices, 20 living billionaires, and many heads of state. In addition, Yale has graduated hundreds of members of Congress, and many high-level U.S. diplomats. 57 Nobel laureates, 78 MacArthur Fellows, 247 Rhodes Scholars, and 119 Marshall Scholars.
Yale University is the home of the Greenberg Conference Center, the Greenberg World Fellows Program and the Greenberg China Initiatives.
Anniversary Sponsors
Acknowledgements
The Chinese Cultural Foundation thanks the following people for their generous contributions to the event:
Chen Lyusheng 陈履生先生 for created CCF Award for 2017 Honorees.
Xinle Ma 马欣乐先生 for designed Stage Backdrop and produced CCF Logo Badge.
Ellen Qiongzhao Schicktanz 赵琼博士 for donated artworks and sculptures for Guests of Honor.
Special Thanks To
Florence Davis and X. Rick Niu for sharing their expertise and knowledge in the creation of the Greenberg Award Calendar .
Our CCF Video Production Team：Jason Wen 温伟杰, Luyi Wang 王陆伊, Jinshuo Zhang 张晋硕, Sean Chen 陈子轶 and Bowen Han.
Alexander Ye 叶立豪 and Sherry Chen 陈志慧 for performing live music at the event.
Special Thanks Also To
Linyan Wang, Managing Editor of China Daily for providing video clips
Xiaohong Li and Miao Yin of People’s Daily, Jiangang Wang of Xinhua News Agency, Liming Guan of China Press, Hong Xiao of China Daily, Jane Stone and Danling Huang of Sinovision and others for the press coverage of the event.
Special thanks also to Gloria Starr Kins of the Society and Diplomatic Review, Ken Lee of Ken Lee Studio, George Wen of Peaceever TV International Media Group, Olivia Yuanyuan Nie and others for providing video, photo of the event.
China Press
Xinhua News Agency
