Alumnus to give lecture about growing role of China in the international economy

NEW PALTZ — Denis Fred Simon, a 1974 graduate of Asian studies and political science at the State University of New York at New Paltz, will give a lecture on the New Paltz campus that will focus on the growing role of China in the international economy. The lecture, titled “China Globalization and the Changing International Business System,” will be given from 7 to 8:15 p.m. followed by light refreshments on Tuesday, Feb. 17, in Lecture Center Room 100.

Simon, who is the dean of the Lally School of Management and Technology at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, will focus on three subjects in his lecture. First, he will review the changes in the Chinese economy. Second, he will look at the changing thinking of major multinational companies about China in terms of foreign investment, technology cooperation, and competition. And third, Simon will discuss the impact of China’s rapid modernization on the United States and the opportunities for expanded Sino-American cooperation.

“As a prominent figure in the international business world, Denis Simon’s analysis should help illuminate the recent economic, technological and political changes sweeping through China and their profound global impact,” said Kristine Harris, director of the Asian Studies Program at New Paltz. “This lecture should interest students, faculty and community members involved in a wide range of fields including business, communication, computer sciences, engineering, environmental studies and cultural studies.”

Simon’s undergraduate business programs at RPI have consistently been ranked in the nation’s top 50 by Business Week and by The U.S. News & World Report. He has also served as a professor of international business strategy and global technology management at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and co- founded and directed the Global Senior Manager’s Program for experienced managers seeking to better understand the impact of globalization on corporate strategy and organization.

David K. Lavallee, provost of SUNY New Paltz, said that he is excited about the prospect of having a distinguished alumnus come to campus to discuss international issues in business. “It is a topic that is relevant to three of our most dynamic programs — international studies, business and communication,” said Lavallee.

Simon received his Ph.D. in economics at the University of California at Berkeley, was a professor of the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a member of the China Consulting Group of Anderson Consulting. He is a prolific author. Some of his key publications include: “Techno- Security in the Age of Globalization” (ME Sharpe, 1997); “The Emerging Technological Trajectory of the Pacific Rim” (ME Sharpe, 1995); and the “Corporate Strategies Towards the Pacific Rim” (Routeledge, 1996). Simon is fluent in Chinese.

The lecture is being co-sponsored by the Asian Studies Program, Department of Communication and Media, Center for International Programs, School of Business, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Major Connections at SUNY New Paltz.

For more information or directions, contact Wenshan Jia at (845) 257-3496 or e-mail jiaw@newpaltz.edu.