Annual Events

Griffin Lecture Series

Building a legacy for their children and for Minnesota, Bob and Kim Griffin donated $500,000 to the China Center to create an endowment fund to establish the Bob and Kim Griffin Building U.S.-China Bridges Lecture. The Griffin’s gift reflects their commitment to promoting mutual respect between the two cultures and their passion to connect people with China.

Bob Griffin is president of Griffin International Companies, which he founded in 1997. Under Griffin’s leadership as president, Griffin International Companies has become one of the Twin Cities’ leading import firms, focusing on custom products developed in the U.S. and sourced from Asia.

Past Lectures

The Bob and Kim Griffin Building U.S.-China Bridges Lectures have featured many outstanding speakers and China experts including:

  • 2008 – Former China Correspondent and current London Bureau Chief for NPR, Rob Gifford, China Road: A Journey into the Future of a Rising Power Download audio file of lecture (22.3 MB)
  • 2007 – Ambassador Jeffrey Bader, John L. Thornton China Center, Brookings Institution, China and the Middle East: From revolution to stability…to challenge? Download audio file of lecture (22.8 MB)
  • 2006 – Pieter Bottelier, economist and professor, India’s Growth from the Perspective of China’s Experience Download audio file of lecture (18.3 MB)
  • 2005 – Dr. Arthur Rolnick, a senior vice president of the Federal Reserve Bank, Minneapolis: Dollars vs. RMB: What Does Devaluation of the Chinese Currency Mean for the U.S. Economy? Download audio file of lecture (12.5 MB)
  • 2004 – Panel discussion with Mr. Michael Jemal, president of Haier America; Mr. Charles Lee, author of the book, Cowboys and Dragons: Shattering the Cultural Myths to advance Chinese/American Business; and Counselor Tian Jun of the Economic Affairs Office at the Chinese Embassy, chief negotiator of the China’s Accession to WTO
  • 2003 – Professor Jiang Zhenghua, vice chairman, Standing Commmitte of the National People’s Congress of China: China’s New Leadership: China’s Perspectives on U.S.-China Relations
  • 2002 – Dr. David Aikman, a senior fellow at Washington’s Ethics and Public Policy Center and a former senior correspondent of Time Magazine: U.S.-Chinese Relations in the Global Context
  • 2001 – Mr. John Holden, president of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations; Professor Qi Xiyu, People’s University, Beijing, China; and Regents Professor Leonid Hurwicz, Department of Economics, University of Minnesota: China’s Western Development

University President Bob Bruininks with Bob and Kim Griffin