On August 19th, 2021, the China Business Studies Initiative (CBSI) at the University of San Francisco and the Hong Kong Canada Business Association co-hosted a webinar entitled: “Can Olympic Games build bridges for cultural exchange and business opportunities in today’s world?”. The purpose of this event is to highlight the business and cultural exchange opportunities during the Summer and Winter Olympics in Tokyo and Beijing in 2021 and 2022.
Dr. Stephen Roddy and Dr. William Wei co-moderated the event. Ms. Nora Wu gave the opening speech. The stellar panel included the names of Mr. Keith Fong, Dr. Huiyao (Henry) Wang, Dr. Michael M. Goldman, Mr. Drew Dorweiler, and Mr. Mark Ceolin.
The event opened with Dr. William Wei, the president of HKCBA, welcoming everyone and introducing HKCBA. Co-moderator Dr. Stephen Roddy introduced CBSI and gave background information about the current Olympic games taking place in Tokyo. During discussions, Dr. Michael Goldman summed up his opinion of these games’ effect on the business and cultural opportunities: " They’re helpful but insufficient". The panelists all agreed that sports, not just the Olympics, is a common language that links people from all over the world. They spoke of soft power, competition, conflict and the lack of, and much more.
When asked if sports helped heal divides, both cultural and political, Mrs. Wu responded: “Sports brings people joy, hope, and optimism.”. The panelists discussed and debated what aspects of the Olympic Games will help to bridge Canadian and American cultural exchange and business interests in the Asia Pacific. At the end, the panelists also entertained an engaging Q&A with the audience.