The Color of Innovation
type: channel
date: 2013-04-02T21:54:22Z
update period: hourly
update frequency: 1
update base: 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00
items: Innovation District: Boston’s “South Boston Action Plan”(2)
items: To Be a Hardheaded Idealist
items: A Lost Election
items: Innovation District: Boston’s “South City Action Plan”
items: The Color of Innovation is East Crimson
items: Boston Route 128’s Past and Present (3)
items: Boston Route 128’s Past and Present (2)
items: Boston Route 128’s Past and Present (1)
items: Innovation Economy and an Economic “Oasis”
items: A Journey to Explore Innovation

Innovation District: Boston’s “South Boston Action Plan”(2)
type: item
creator: Chenghua Guan
date: 2013-04-02T21:40:37Z
subject: innovation economy
subject: Boston
subject: Elizabeth Warren
subject: Hurricane Sandy
subject: innovation district
subject: Mayor Menino
description: Innovation District: Boston’s “South Boston Action Plan”(2) The simplicity of our career’s beginnings will not damage its greatness at conclusion. ——Zhuangzi·Man in the World Talent will decide the future of economic development in Boston, and holds the key to the fate of development in the world’s metropolitan areas. ——Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce […]
encoded: Innovation District: Boston’s “South Boston Action Plan”(2) The simplicity of our career’s beginnings will not damage its greatness at conclusion. ——Zhuangzi·Man in the World Talent will decide the future of economic development in Boston, and holds the key to the fate of development in the world’s metropolitan areas. ——Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce This is the third Thanksgiving I’ve spent in Boston, and I feel that the holiday spirit is stronger this year than in previous years. Cars have been parked in front of our doors by friends and relatives getting together with our neighbors to celebrate the holiday, and on the streets I keep running into happy groups of people. Even children’s playgrounds appear crowded, having added more than a few strange faces. Groups of eager and enthusiastic people converse with cheerful voices, and with rich facial expressions and animated body language, next to tables in restaurants, on the sides of roads, and at playgrounds; everyone has swept clear the reserve and quiet of their everyday lives- there is really a feeling bordering on exuberance in Boston now! The phrase “a fall filled with troubled tidings” could be used to describe the more than one month that has just passed, and I believe that the successive series of unexpected events that occurred here over that time made everyone hold within themselves thoughts which they now wish to get off their chests and topics which can be discussed at length. First among topics that people won’t let go of is that of late October’s storm, the once in a lifetime Hurricane Sandy; while the hurricane didn’t actually make people go wild with terror, it still did make people extremely nervous. First came the state governor announcing that Massachusetts had entered a State of Emergency, closely followed by a stream of telephone calls, text messages and emails broadcasting all types of warning information and disaster-related reminders. Television and broadcasting stations rolled out live …

To Be a Hardheaded Idealist
type: item
creator: Chenghua Guan
date: 2012-11-19T14:21:17Z
subject: speech
subject: commencement
subject: graduation ceremony
subject: hardheaded idealist
subject: passion
subject: Peking University
subject: reason
description: To Be a Hardheaded Idealist —— A Speech Delivered at the Postgraduate Graduation Ceremony of Peking University, 2008 Dear Party Chief Min Weifang, President Xu Zhihong, distinguished government representatives, esteemed faculty members, proud parents, and above all, graduates: Good morning! As a former graduate of Peking University, I am very honored and privileged to be […]
encoded: To Be a Hardheaded Idealist —— A Speech Delivered at the Postgraduate Graduation Ceremony of Peking University, 2008 Dear Party Chief Min Weifang, President Xu Zhihong, distinguished government representatives, esteemed faculty members, proud parents, and above all, graduates: Good morning! As a former graduate of Peking University, I am very honored and privileged to be here for this solemn commencement. First of all, I would like to thank Peking University for giving me a chance to re-experience an exciting moment and reflect upon the unforgettable and dear memories. Graduation always invokes mixed feelings about the joy of harvest and sorrow of departure, nostalgia for the past life on campus and longing for future life in society. Twenty two years ago, I, a young man from a remote village in western Liaoning province, first set my feet in Beijing to study at Peking University and start a new page of life. During the past twenty-two years, our Alma Mater has celebrated her ninetieth, one hundredth and one hundred and tenth birthday, and together with our country, has suffered setbacks and experienced changes and developments. During the same period, I had stayed in Peking University for seven years as a student and then six years as a faculty member, before I went to work in various government positions for nine years. My years in Peking University allowed me a unique opportunity to explore her tradition and experience her spirit. During my years of studying and teaching, especially in the days organizing the centennial celebration, I came to the realization that “Peking University’s tradition has always been polyphony, where the passions of China collide and get transcended, where the dynamic and explosive zeal meets the tranquil and rational reflection. It is this collision and fusion of passion and reason that forged her immortal soul and ensured her centuries of glory. If passion makes her adorable, the transcendence of passion makes her respected. In the dar…

A Lost Election
type: item
creator: Chenghua Guan
date: 2012-11-12T00:38:01Z
subject: politics
subject: 2012 Presidential campaign
subject: 2012 presidential election
subject: Obama
subject: Romney
subject: US-China relationship
description: A Lost Election On November 6, when CNN projected Barrack Obama’s assured reelection at 23:20 (EST), the shifting lights of red and blue from the Empire State Building in New York changed to all blue to mark Obama’s victory; overwhelming joy and excitement at Obama’s campaign headquarters turned McCormick Place in Chicago a huge […]
encoded: A Lost Election On November 6, when CNN projected Barrack Obama’s assured reelection at 23:20 (EST), the shifting lights of red and blue from the Empire State Building in New York changed to all blue to mark Obama’s victory; overwhelming joy and excitement at Obama’s campaign headquarters turned McCormick Place in Chicago a huge stage for celebration; a dead silence fell in Boston’s Faneuil Hall, where supporters for Mitt Romney were struck by sadness and disappointment. <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-136" title="empire buld" src="http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/cguan/files/2012/11/empire-buld.png" alt="" width="742" height="255" srcset="https://archive.blogs.harvard.edu/cguan/files/2012/11/empire-buld.png 742w, https://archive.blogs.harvard.edu/cguan/files/2012/11/empire-buld-300x103.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 742px) 100vw, 742px" />Empire State Building in all blue Supporters for Obama went wild Obama once again defeated a Republican candidate and won his seat in the White House for another four years. At 0:56 of November 7, Romney, after phoning Obama to congratulate him on his victory, turned to his own supporters waiting in the chilly night, and made a “genuine and graceful” concession speech. He called for the ending of “partisan bickering and political posturing” and the combined effort for “a resurgent economy and to a renewed greatness.” Romney’s concession speech Romney’s supporters disappointed At 01:39, Obama finally came out to greet the expectant crowd with his wife and two daughters. He delivered a 21-minute long victory speech, and just like how he was four year ago, full of confidence and courage, passion and eloquence, setting the audience’s heart afire and blood boiling. Obama with his family on the stage Obama delivers victory speech As if troubled by an uneasy conscience, Obama mentioned the less glorious aspects of the campaign: “I know that political campaigns can sometimes seem small, even sill…

Innovation District: Boston’s “South City Action Plan”
type: item
creator: Chenghua Guan
date: 2012-11-04T21:30:42Z
subject: innovation economy
subject: Boston
subject: innovation district
subject: Menino
subject: urban revival
description: Innovation District: Boston’s “South City Action Plan” The good city is innovative and fun; it is prosperous; it strives for justice and sustainability- and above all, it is alive. —— Paul S. Grogan All politics is local. —— Tip O’Neill If one were asked to single out the most difficult role to play on […]
encoded: Innovation District: Boston’s “South City Action Plan” The good city is innovative and fun; it is prosperous; it strives for justice and sustainability- and above all, it is alive. —— Paul S. Grogan All politics is local. —— Tip O’Neill If one were asked to single out the most difficult role to play on the political stage of Massachusetts, the mayor of Boston would be the default answer. It can be explained by two reasons: firstly, the Greater Boston area has long been among the world cities and Boston is no doubt the center of the area. Therefore, any moves made by the mayor would exert significant impacts on the region and its surroundings. Such a fact requires the mayor to possess sufficient foresight and superb leadership. Secondly, as the capital of Massachusetts, Boston is both an independent city with its own constituency and the key area for state governance. Indeed, the state government and the city hall are located within half a miles from each other at the heart of the city. It is therefore very natural that the two governments would frequently find itself at odds with the other on various issues, ranging from development goals, project selection, construction timetable and specific operational plans. As a result, the post of mayor requires strong communication and coordination skills. To borrow the words from Chinese officialdom, the situation of Boston mayor is comparable to that of “Peking officials.” However, the incumbent Mayor Thomas M. Menino has served in this position for nineteen years, finishing up his fifth term next year. In light of the general popularity and his overall performance record, Menino is believed to be the most accomplished and popular mayor in the history of Boston. Menino was born into an ordinary Italian immigrant family at Hyde Park, Boston. He received his higher education at University of Massachusetts Boston. Prior to taking the mayorship in 1993, Menino had served for ten years on Boston’s city council. Up to the present…

The Color of Innovation is East Crimson
type: item
creator: Chenghua Guan
date: 2012-10-13T03:10:10Z
subject: Uncategorized
subject: China
subject: Harvard
subject: innovation
subject: Innovation Line
subject: Red Line
description: The Color of Innovation is East Crimson Although an ancient state, Zhou’s sole mission is innovation. —— Anecdotes of King Wen, Major Odes. The Book of Poetry On October 27, 2011, an organized gathering on one of Boston’s red line subways attracted the attention of many passers-by. At one o’ clock sharp in the […]
encoded: The Color of Innovation is East Crimson Although an ancient state, Zhou’s sole mission is innovation. —— Anecdotes of King Wen, Major Odes. The Book of Poetry On October 27, 2011, an organized gathering on one of Boston’s red line subways attracted the attention of many passers-by. At one o’ clock sharp in the afternoon, a train with the sign of “Innovation Express” departed slowly from JFK/UMASS station. In the last carriage of the train, over fifty special passengers stood together, shaking hands, greeting each other and quickly getting into conversations. The organizers, as soon as they were finished with announcing the itinerary as well as warnings, quickly passed the bullhorn on to prearranged keynote speakers of the day. It was Boston World Partnerships, shortened as BWP, who initiated, sponsored and organized this innovation trip via Internet and cell phone. Those invited were all entrepreneurs and business networkers actively involved in innovation activities around Boston and Cambridge. “Innovation Express” not only allowed passengers to freely join at all stations but had set up brief addresses by representatives from start-up facilities and organizations in between stations. All participants alighted at the Davis Square Station in Somerville and took the return train back to Kendall Square, where they continued the buzzing discussions in Cambridge Innovation Center. The event was a huge success. For one thing, the participants exchanged plenty of information regarding the industries; for another, they made first moves on establishing lasting ties with peers. Besides, the city was able to promote both Innovation District and New Urban Mechanics, and the passengers who joined during the ride learned about many companies and organizations along the red line. All had an extraordinary first-hand experience of Boston area’s rich innovation atmosphere and growth vitality. By the word of month of the participants and witnesses, as well as extensive media coverage…

Boston Route 128’s Past and Present (3)
type: item
creator: Chenghua Guan
date: 2012-09-29T07:11:05Z
subject: innovation economy
subject: 128
subject: governance
subject: Massachusetts miracle
subject: QE3
subject: reg
subject: regional economy
subject: resurgence
subject: silicon valley
description: Boston’s Route 128: Past and Present Distinctive and Unconventional：A Singular Success Economic miracles may suddenly become visible, but such miracles are almost always produced by solid fundamentals and these solid fundamentals always have a long history. —— Lester C. Thurow Paradoxically, regions offer an important source of competitive advantage even as production and […]
encoded: Boston’s Route 128: Past and Present Distinctive and Unconventional：A Singular Success Economic miracles may suddenly become visible, but such miracles are almost always produced by solid fundamentals and these solid fundamentals always have a long history. —— Lester C. Thurow Paradoxically, regions offer an important source of competitive advantage even as production and markets become increasingly global. —— Annalee Saxenian On September 13, the Federal Reserve Bank finally launched its latest monetary policy, ending prolonged hesitation and observation. The new policy, “Quantitative Easing” or shortened as “QE3”, was designed to boost American economy and create job growth. Though much anticipated, the policy still managed to stir new waves in a turbulent world: the global capital market cheering for an upcoming carnival; the two parties drumming up support or suppression amidst their white-hot presidential campaign; scholars flooding the media with all kinds of analyses, comments and predictions… Amidst all the uproars, my attention and thoughts were drawn to two discussions that happened earlier in the Boston area. One took place over a month ago and the other was on the eve of the “QE3” policy announcement. On the evening of September 12, a brightly lit and crowded open classroom in Northeastern University welcomed two titans in the field of economics: Lawrence Summers, a former Harvard University president, Treasury secretary under President Bill Clinton (1999 to 2001) and top economic adviser to Obama until 2010; N. Gregory Mankiw, chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers during George W. Bush’s presidency, currently counseling the Republican presidential candidate Romney. Though both being Harvard professors in economics, they share little in common with respect to experience and position. Summers opened the discussion by stressing the active role government should continue to play to get economy back on its feet. He argued for more stimulus…

Boston Route 128’s Past and Present (2)
type: item
creator: Chenghua Guan
date: 2012-09-15T18:40:35Z
subject: politics
subject: 2012 presidential election
subject: governor
subject: Massachusetts
subject: officialdom
subject: Route 128
description: Boston Route 128’s Past and Present, Vicissitudes of Political Life “Better the occasional faults of a government that lives in a spirit of charity than the consistent omissions of a government frozen in the ice of its own indifference.” […]
encoded: Boston Route 128’s Past and Present, Vicissitudes of Political Life “Better the occasional faults of a government that lives in a spirit of charity than the consistent omissions of a government frozen in the ice of its own indifference.” —— Franklin D. Roosevelt Officialdom can hardly be a long-time lover. —— The Scholars If a person were interested in the American public’s opinions about their country’s economic performance, he or she would easily notice their contradictory attitudes toward the role of their government. When the economy is booming, people oftentimes attribute the growth to factors extraneous to the executive power such as entrepreneurship, technological progress or international environment. In times of economic stagnation or recession, they would hold the government accountable for its demotivational or ill-considered measures. All kinds of criticism, accusation and even denouncement would come flooding in from every walk of life. Indeed, it takes not only integrity and sacrifice, but in particular “good temper” and “magnanimity” to hold key political posts in America. The American people’s “vigilant” and “prudent” attitudes toward the government are reinforced in the mutual fault- picking and derogatory attacks between the Democratic and Republican parties. In fact, the two parties’ divergence with regard to the function and role of the executive branches of the government remain as the touchstone of their fundamental difference. However, their respective positions on the economic policies are not as clear-cut as “interference” versus “laissez-faire”, nor can the specific measures they take simply be labeled as “conservative” or “liberal”, “left” or “right”. In his 2012 State of Union Address, President Obama made the following statement, with which many well-intentioned politicians may side, “I believe what Republican Abraham Lincoln believed: ‘That government should do for people only what they cannot do better by themselves, and no more.’” <im…

Boston Route 128’s Past and Present (1)
type: item
creator: Chenghua Guan
date: 2012-09-09T00:37:25Z
subject: innovation economy
subject: Changping
subject: Entrepreneurship
subject: Industrial Park
subject: Massachusetts
subject: Route 128
description: Boston Route 128’s Past and Present: Tracing the Roots Miracles are propitious accidents, the natural causes of which are too complicated to be readily understood. […]
encoded: Boston Route 128’s Past and Present: Tracing the Roots Miracles are propitious accidents, the natural causes of which are too complicated to be readily understood. —— George Santayana The 1 -2 -8 number combination had made its appearance on the road map of Massachusetts as early as late 1920s. Without any scientific verification or painstaking conceiving, such an auspicious number – in the Chinese eyes – was no more than a result of the brainstorm by a few staff members of the Massachusetts Department of Public Works. At that time, the Boston Metropolitan District Commission confirmed the plan of expanding the Boston city traffic to a circumferential network of transportation. In order to cater to “the superior leadership,” these people haphazardly assigned Route 128 to a chain of existing local streets with various capacity and names that connected the main towns in Boston’s suburban area. Today, “Route 128” is a loaded term with rich connotations. It has grown into a key high-tech region in the United States second only to Silicon Valley, and it has become the gauge of innovation and economic development for not only Massachusetts and America but the world at large. 128 High-tech Road, 128 High-tech Industrial District and 128 Innovation Corridor, altogether summarized as “the Route 128 Phenomenon,” have captured the attention of numerous policy makers, leaders from universities and research institutions, entrepreneurs and researchers. In the 1980s when “Massachusetts Miracle” was all the rage, visiting groups streamed in with the hope of learning and replicating the experiences and model of Route 128. Later on, following the decline and resurgence of the regional economy, there has not been a single moment when Route 128 does not affect the sensitive nerves of the global high-tech industry. All such, I fear, must have been way beyond the wildest imagination of the original code makers. In fact, what we call Route 128 nowadays is not the road under its original n…

Innovation Economy and an Economic “Oasis”
type: item
creator: Chenghua Guan
date: 2012-09-01T02:59:05Z
subject: innovation economy
subject: Boston
subject: Harvard
subject: innovation
subject: innovation economics
subject: Massachusetts
subject: Yankee Ingenuity
description: Innovation Economy and an Economic “Oasis” If America wants to be a healthy, smart, rich, globalized, high-tech powerhouse, we arguably have no better model than Massachusetts. —— Mark Vanhoenacker After the outbreak of the financial crisis, it did not take long for many U.S. economists and business leaders to recognize that […]
encoded: Innovation Economy and an Economic “Oasis” If America wants to be a healthy, smart, rich, globalized, high-tech powerhouse, we arguably have no better model than Massachusetts. —— Mark Vanhoenacker After the outbreak of the financial crisis, it did not take long for many U.S. economists and business leaders to recognize that innovation economy would be the key to brake recession and make possible a resurgence. Paul Krugman defined the “great recession” as “the third depression” in the world’s history, and clearly stated that nothing but a new technological revolution that transforms the lifestyle and modes of production for all humanity could lift us out of the recession and usher in a new wave of economic growth. Economist Tyler Cowen from George Mason University expressed a very similar view in his book, the Great Stagnation. Failing to accurately predict the crisis and defuse it in a timely manner, economists from various schools have been under great pressure. Yet while continuing to quarrel over the causes of the recession and short-term measures against it, few questioned or challenged the above positions. In the business arena, Warren Buffett have stricken home his point repeatedly: the value of the American system lies in innovation which unleashes human potential; innovation will lead America out of the predicament. Steve Jobs also showed his confidence and believed that “as long as we innovate, we will be fine”. Gary Shapiro, CEO of American Consumer Electronics Association launched the innovation movement, a coalition of 100,000 citizens, wishing for a revival of innovation economy to spur America’s Comeback. Winning the 2008 presidential election by advocating “change”, Obama has launched a series of policies and measures to promote innovation and economic development. In September 2009, he released “A Strategy for American Innovation: Driving towards Sustainable Growth and Quality Jobs”. In his 2011 State of the Union Address, Obama proposed “Startup Am…

A Journey to Explore Innovation
type: item
creator: Chenghua Guan
date: 2012-08-25T16:16:36Z
subject: preamble
subject: Beijing
subject: Beijing University
subject: Changping
subject: Harvard
subject: innovation
subject: Peking University
subject: regional innovation system
description: A Journey to Explore Innovation […]
encoded: A Journey to Explore Innovation Day by day, make it anew. —— The book of Rites·The Great Learning I had not originally made plans to open a blog like this but was rather encouraged to do so by a good friend. However, once I decided to write a blog, I have given the day it should begin careful consideration. Today, August 26, 2012, is the two-year anniversary of my arrival in the United States to pursue further studies. Being such a significant-to-me date, I chose it to begin this blog. As I reflect on the path that has led me to make the decision to come to the US, I want to summarize the seven hundred and thirty days that I have spent living and working in this foreign land while discussing my future writing and research plans. Mine may seem an unusual life journey revolving as it does around issues pertaining to innovation. I. Dream of Seven Years It was as bright as day outside. Breaking free from noise and turbulence we had been experiencing, the plane finally entered into a smooth state. From ten thousand meters high, I gazed down at the sea of clouds. Thousands of thoughts suddenly filled my heart… In little more than a year after leaving Peking University, the idea of returning grew strong in my heart. At the end of 1999, I was transferred to the Youth League Beijing Committee and appointed deputy secretary, thenceforth launching on my political career, one which from most perspectives seemed to be filled with bright prospects. Compared to gladness from rising through the ranks and to expectations of future promotions, I was more pleased to be given the opportunity to put my educational knowledge to practical use and verification outside the “ivory towers” of academia. The transition from the campus into the “real” world was an exciting one for me, full of joy and even a bit of impatience to achieve success and overcome the challenges inherent to the office of which I had been given charge. Running among endless business meetings and entertainment obligations…