China constitutes the first area of expansion for WISPAD’s international operations with its regional offices located in Beijing and Hong Kong. The School benefits from the long tradition of excellence in academics and research characteristic of universities located in Beijing and Hong Kong, which constitute unique gateways to the understanding of Chinese challenges and alternatives for integral development.
The rapid industrial and trade expansion that China has undergone in the last three decades has brought complex conditions of inequality in urban centers, and exacerbated the levels of poverty in rural areas. WISPAD is committed to training Chinese public and social servants and to advancing research directed towards efficient and ethically-based public service to increase subjective wellbeing, promote social harmony, and strengthen the political institutions of China.
Through advanced training and specialized research, WISPAD aims to address the needs of China’s main urban centers, whose levels of inequality have been aggravated as a result of the greatest migratory flow in human history. The School’s programs and services mainly focus on the efficient and ethical provision of public services in areas such as public and environmental health, food safety, education, urbanization, and job creation.
The Wilberforce International School also focuses on mitigating poverty in Chinese rural provinces, that have been affected by the migratory flow. The School’s training and research operations foment the efficient provision of basic services, promote alternative forms of development, and address social dislocations in Chinese rural areas resulting from the exodus of rural workers toward major cities. Some of WISPAD’s training and research focus involve public and environmental health, sanitation, education, agricultural policies, job creation, and the promotion of direct investment within impoverished rural areas.
The regional offices of WISPAD in Beijing and Hong Kong promote access to a network of social enterprises with valuable developmental programs in main Chinese cities. The regional offices also provide connections with students and scholars from Chinese provinces with advanced training from local universities and active participation in diverse community-based organizations. These advantages facilitate the regional operations of the School by providing a source of collaborators, faculty, and researchers with specific focus on increased levels of Chinese subjective well-being, as well as socioeconomic and political development.
WISPAD’s operations in China draw from the vision and background of its President and Vice-president, who are committed to addressing the perils of poverty and inequality in less developed countries. The School also draws from years of cultural exposure, linguistic proficiency, and personal connections derived from the lasting academic and business experiences of its officers in China.