USC U.S.-China Institute Announces Revised Positioning and Structure Under New Director Glenn Osaki

USC veteran Glenn Osaki was appointed Director of the USC U.S.-China Institute (USCI) in July 2024 by Willow Bay, Dean of the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism (ASCJ). In the first announcements since his appointment, Osaki shared plans for the Institute’s new positioning and named a Chair for its new Advisory Board.

“The renewed mission of the USC U.S.-China Institute is to enable educational, cultural and professional exchange to foster mutual understanding between the U.S. and China,” said Osaki. “The Institute will facilitate research and collaboration that is student-centered and industry-engaged.”

USCI was founded in 2006 as a university center to advance USC’s engagement in East Asia by connecting disciplines and departments across campus. Based on the evolving geopolitical environment, ASCJ spent the past year researching U.S.-China perceptions, interviewing academic and industry stakeholders, and benchmarking other China centers in higher education and the private sector to establish the renewed mission for USCI. Rather than focus on issues of government policy, USCI strives to provide research and collaboration opportunities for students and scholars; teacher training, career services and supportive networks for diverse community groups and alumni; and partnership for industries of practice. Together, these efforts build a leading platform to nurture communicators, creators and collaborators in the U.S. and China.

While this new positioning for USCI is differentiated and forward-looking, it also preserves the Institute’s historic strengths while paving the way for new opportunities. Among these opportunities is the creation of a new Advisory Board of industry experts to complement an Executive Committee of top academics.

“USCI is privileged to have an existing Executive Committee comprised of the nation’s leading China scholars, including USC faculty from Annenberg, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, Marshall School of Business, and Price School of Public Policy,” said Osaki. “To complement this top group of academics, we will soon announce an Advisory Board consisting of U.S.-China experts from the worlds of business, sports, media, culture and the arts. I’m thrilled to announce that Scott Kronick will serve as our first Board Chair.”

Kronick is one of the world’s foremost experts on China, having established Ogilvy Public Relations in China in 1995 and serving as CEO of the country’s top corporate and crisis consultancy for more than 30 years. While continuing his consulting work in China, Kronick also serves as China Chair of the Page Society and an adjunct professor at USC.

The appointments of Osaki and Kronick come at a critical juncture in U.S.-China relations. Mistrust between Washington D.C. and Beijing are impacting socioeconomic issues around the world, as well as perceptions about China in the U.S. Annual surveys conducted by the Pew Research Center show that Americans continue to have a highly negative outlook toward China – for the third year in a row, more than eight-in-ten Americans report an unfavorable view of China. Before the pandemic, less than half of Americans surveyed viewed China unfavorably.

“Instead of looking at differences and conflicts, we need to find areas for the U.S. and China to collaborate,” continued Osaki. “USCI is part of the nation’s leading school for communication and journalism. There’s no better place to enhance understanding for the definitive bilateral relationship of the 21^st century.”

Osaki is the second director for USCI, following the retirement of Clayton Dube, who had led the institute since its founding in 2006. Dube will remain on the Executive Committee and serve as Senior Fellow.