CAPP Events: 2004

Archive: CAPP Events
2009 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002

Spring 2004 CAPP Advisory Board Meeting

For the first time in a decade, CAPP held an Advisory Board meeting in Asia, which took place on June 11 in Seoul, South Korea. The meeting drew Board members Rob Ferguson, Lalita Gupte, Ken Senjong Hsui, Benny Hu, Michael ByungJu Kim, Chairman Woong-yeul Lee, Donald Tang, Ratan Tata (Chair), and Daniel Yun.

RAND participants included Jim Thomson, Nina Hachigian, Bill Overholt, Bruce Bennett, and Somi Seong.

Chairman Lee started the proceedings by hosting an exquisite dinner at his home on Thursday, June 10. In attendance were some of South Koreaís most prominent business leaders, including the publisher and president of Korea's largest newspaper, Chosun Ilbo; the chairman of SK, one of Korea's largest conglomerates; and the chairman of Poongsan, which provides half the metals for US coins.

Jim Thomson opened the full-day Board meeting that followed on Friday by presenting an overview of RANDís business plan. He also recapped the week of meetings he had in Seoul where he and RAND staff explored opportunities with the Ministers of Education, Science and Technology, National Defense, Health, and Commerce, among many others.

Nina Hachigian followed with the CAPP director's report, highlighting CAPP's rapid growth over the last three years. She also discussed RAND's current Asia research agenda, which addresses China's economy, the geopolitical implications of tensions between India and Pakistan, and Thailand's science parks, among other policy concerns.

US Ambassador Thomas Hubbard gave the keynote address at lunch. After giving an overview of the US-South Korea relationship, the Ambassador expressed optimism about its future despite the recent turbulence.

Following on Ratan Tata's suggestion from the last meeting, CAPP then held its first roundtable in which the Board members offered their perceptions of the political and economic trends in the countries where they reside. The group was treated to insiders' views of the recent Indian and South Korean elections, Australiaís upcoming elections, cross-Strait relations, the great and sometimes paradoxical challenges facing China's economy, and the upcoming US election.

Bruce Bennett led the last session of the day with a briefing on the threat posed by North Korea. He argued that while the possibility of the North invading the South was increasingly remote, North Korea still posed a serious threat. He noted that the collapse of the North Korean regime was a fairly likely scenario that could greatly jeopardize South Koreaís economic vitality and security.

The meeting concluded with a traditional Korean dinner hosted by CAPP Board member Michael Kim at an ancient palace on the outskirts of Seoul.