The determinants behind the political selection of officials in China have been the subject of great debate. Although factions and political connections play an important role, China’s stellar economic performance since 1978 suggests that the Communist Party’s cadre management system is still able to select and promote at least some competent individuals to hold important government positions. This paper evaluates the extent to which the Party uses economic performance, namely the growth of local fiscal revenues and GDP, as the indicators of competence when promoting local politicians.

On 16 October 2010, German Chancellor Angela Merkel declared multiculturalism in Germany a failure. Far-right parties that have recently gained power in countries such as Sweden and Austria have further raised doubts about the viability of multiculturalism in Western Europe and North America. Meanwhile, in South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, where immigration is tightly controlled and integration programs are at their infancy, the catchword, “multiculturalism,” has gained popularity among policymakers and the public alike.

The Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania (JASP) is co-hosting a Halloween Mixer with Point Park University's Anime Club for students interested in Japan and Japanese culture.

All students are welcome!

**Event Schedule**
6:00 pm : Arrival and Sign in
6:15 pm : Food and lots of candy
6:30 pm : Japan-related Club Introductions
7:00 pm : Yokai (Japanese folklore monsters) Presentation
7:45 pm : Costume Contest
8:15 pm : Horror film screening (movie title TBA)
10:30 ~ 11:00 pm : End of mixer
**Don't forget to dress up!**

2014 has been a remarkable year in terms of democratic developments in Asia. Landmark elections in India and Indonesia brought dramatic leadership changes to the region's two largest democracies. Afghan citizens defied Taliban threats to exercise their franchise in elections leading to the country's first democratic transition from one elected president to another, and student-led protests on the streets of Hong Kong demanded a greater voice in choosing their elected leaders.

Dr. French will discuss the relationship between China and Africa in a way that will help us understand the encounter between these two parts of the world. Having worked as an international diplomat and travelled extensively in Africa and China, he will tap into his wealth of experience as he shares the conversations Africans are having about China’s role in their communities and also the conversations the Chinese are having about their involvement in Africa. The question in many people’s minds is “Are the Chinese helping to bring about development that will change lives in Africa?”

Four Visiting Scholars at the Center for Disaster Management will lead a dialogue on the impact of recent extreme events in their respective countries, and outline new approaches for managing risk and building resilience to hazards at the community level. Dean John T.S. Keeler will introduce the research and exchange programs between GSPIA and Kobe University, Japan and Nanjing University, China for faculty and students.

The panel will include:

Art, Therapy, and Disaster Recovery: Popoki in the Tohoku Region, Japan - Ronni Alexander, Professor, GSICS, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan.

Jinying Li studies East Asian cinema, animation, and digital culture in transnational/trans-media contexts. Trained as a scientist before becoming a media scholar, Jinying is interested in the interplay between techno-science and screen cultures, and her research focuses on the question of how digital technologies transformed global media ecology as well as the forms and aesthetics of moving images.

Jim Busis, CEO and Publisher of The Jewish Chronicle and former director of the Asia Pacific Institute at the American Jewish Committee, will discuss the past, present, and future of PRC-Israel relations.

Please join us for a panel discussion and open forum on the current student protests over elections in Hong Kong. After brief presentations, we hope you will join us and add your views to the discussion.

Presentations:
“Chinese Protest Movements in Historical Perspective” - David Luesink (Department of History)
“Disequilibrium: The institutional failure of “one-country two systems” - Pierre Landry (Department of Political Science)
“Perspectives on Hong Kong” - Nicole Constable (Department of Anthropology), Hei Ting Wong (Graduate Student, Ethnomusicology)

The National Committee on U.S.-China Relations in collaboration with The Carter Center is conducting the eighth annual CHINA Town Hall: Local Connections, National Reflections program at more than 70 locations nationwide featuring a live webcast and Q&A with former U.S. President Jimmy Carter on October 16, 2014 at 7:00 p.m. EDT. President Carter’s discussion and responses to questions submitted by the nationwide audience will be moderated by National Committee President Stephen Orlins.