Increasing collaborative opportunities with China

September 13, 2010

China has become an economic powerhouse and an increasingly influential global player with growing collaborative and strategic opportunities. On Sept. 19, three experts will share their experiences and discuss their strategies in seizing these opportunities and overcoming the challenges of working with China.<separator></separator>A panel discussion will take place from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., in room 220 of the Turquoise ballroom, in the Memorial Union on the Tempe campus. The three speakers will be Glenn Hamer, president and CEO of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Sherre Willis, executive director of the Confucius Institute at Kansas University; and Vida Ilderem, vice president of Intel Labs and director of the Integrated Platform Research Lab of Intel Corporation.  <separator></separator>The event is free and open to the public.<separator></separator>Hamer, who will speak about “Promoting Bilateral Prosperity Between China and Arizona,” is enthusiastic about the current strong ties between Arizona and China and predicts that the connection will continue in the future.<separator></separator>"Last September, we had the honor of co-hosting China’s top lawmaker, Chairman Wu, and his delegation at a US-China Economic Trade and Cooperation Forum in Scottsdale," Hamer said. "That event generated 41 contracts and cooperation agreements valued at over $12 billion. The continued development and promotion of these international business opportunities will strengthen today’s economic recovery and lay the foundation for Arizona’s economic future."<separator></separator>Willis will speak about “Engaging with China: Communication for Collaboration” and Ilderem will speak about “Technology Opportunities.”<separator></separator>The speaker bios are as follows:<separator></separator>Hamer has successfully managed several organizations that encompassed large budgets, high scrutiny and strong grassroots networks. As director of business development and government relations for First Solar, executive director of the Solar Energy Industries Association, chief of staff to then-Congressman Matt Salmon and executive director of the Arizona Republican Party, Hamer has focused on achieving strategic goals that advanced organizations on several levels. Hamer spent six years working on Capitol Hill, in both the House and Senate. Hamer first worked as a legislative assistant for Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona. While on Capitol Hill, he worked on many important issues including identity theft, efforts to fight violent crime and methamphetamine abuse, and intellectual property issues.<separator></separator>A graduate of Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations and ASU’s College of Law, Hamer currently lives in Scottsdale with his wife and three young daughters. In his free time, he enjoys tennis and learning Hebrew from his bilingual daughters.<separator></separator>Willis is the executive director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Kansas. Prior to joining the Confucius Institute, Willis worked for the University of Kansas Center for East Asian Studies, the Center for International Business Education and Research and the Office of Study Abroad. Willis worked as a consultant and freelance Chinese-English simultaneous and consecutive interpreter and translator for over ten years with an emphasis in educational exchange, environmental projects, trade, and legal interpreting. She served as a foreign service officer with the U.S. Department of State in Tunis, Shanghai, Beijing, and Kuala Lumpur. She holds M.A. and B.A. degrees from the University of Kansas in East Asian Languages and Cultures (with an emphasis in Chinese language and literature) and is currently pursuing a doctorate in Foreign Language Education at the University of Kansas. She has lived in China for a total of eight years while as a student and as a U.S. diplomat and travels to China frequently.<separator></separator>Ilderem is vice president of Intel Labs and director of the Integrated Platform Research Lab for Intel Corporation. The research lab focuses on deep integration on highly integrated platform-on-chip architectures as well as digital, analog and physical design factors. Prior to joining Intel, Ilderem served as vice president of Systems and Technology Research at Motorola's Applied Research and Technology Center where she led research efforts that focused on delivering solutions for the next generation of communication and interaction technologies and integrated systems. She has also held the position of vice president of Physical & Digital Realization with a focus on visual, computational and physical technologies, and served as director of RF/IF silicon technologies within Motorola's Semiconductor Products Sector.<separator></separator>Ilderem holds 27 issued patents and has been featured in numerous publications. A recipient of the Motorola's Distinguished Innovator Award, Ilderem holds bachelor's degrees in electrical engineering and physics from Fresno State and a master's degree and doctorate degree in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.<separator></separator>For more information about this event, visit <a href="http://confuciusinstitute.asu.edu">http://confuciusinstitute.asu.edu</a… ASU Confucius Institute, the School of International Letters of Cultures in ASU's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Arizona Chinese United Association, and the ASU Chinese Students and Scholars Association are sponsors of the event.

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