Hastings College will host the E.N. Thompson Forum on World Issues simulcast as it concludes its series on “Encountering China.” The final lecture will feature NPR London correspondent Rob Gifford as he presents “China Road: A Journey Into the Future of a Rising Power” at 7 p.m., Thursday, April 1 in Wilson Center. Gifford’s lecture will be followed with community conversation.
Gifford will share highlights of a two-month journey along China’s 3,000-mile east-west route that took him through factory towns of the coastal areas, across the heart of China, and up to the Gobi Desert, where Route 312 merges with the old Silk Road.
Now National Public Radio’s London correspondent, Gifford served as NPR’s China correspondent from 1999-2005. His recently published book, “China Road,” recounts his travels as he witnessed many aspects of China’s social and economic revolution.
The series is named in honor of E.N. “Jack” Thompson, who served as president of the Cooper Foundation from 1964 to 1990 and as its chairman from 1990 until his death in 2002. Thompson established the series to promote better understanding of world events and issues for all Nebraskans.
Hastings College, founded in 1882, is a private, four-year liberal arts institution affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). A total of 64 majors in 32 areas of study and 12 pre-professional programs are offered to more than 1,150 students. Hastings College was named 75th Best Value College in the nation and #1 in Nebraska by Forbes.com and the Center for College Affordability and Productivity. It was named a 2010 “Best in the Midwest” by The Princeton Review and rated a “Best Buy in College Education” by Barron’s.