We are thrilled to congratulate board member Karolin Kan for winning the 2019 Young China Watcher of the Year Award!
She was recognized for her contributions to telling her story—and the story of Chinese millennials—to an international audience. Karoline is the Beijing editor at China Dialogue and author of Under Red Skies: Three Generations of Life, Loss, and Hope in China—an account of Karoline’s family that covers three generations. In Under Red Skies, Kan tells the stories of three generations of her family, shedding light upon the experiences of navigating a career and love during a time rife with socio-political and economic change in China. As such, Kan’s family portrait reflects the shifting sands of China and reveals how the country’s jarring past and the stories of older generations have shaped China into the powerful nation it is today. The real China, Kan shows, is not only what is shown in the daily news cycle. Copies of her book are available on Amazon UK.
According to YCW, the judges—Jamil Anderlini, Kerry Brown, Duncan Clark, Juliana Liu, and Mimi Zou—were impressed by Karoline’s commitment to sharing a more nuanced perspective of China, which they viewed as especially important in a world where China-related headlines are dominated by suspicion and disagreements between government officials. They noted that Karoline is breaking new ground as a Chinese national making significant waves well beyond the Middle Kingdom, playing an important role in deepening the world’s understanding of China.
YCW is a dynamic group of China-focused young professionals. Through regular roundtables and talks with senior figures in the China academic, policy and business communities, it provides a chance for engaged individuals to interact and discuss the most pressing issues emerging from China today.
In May, YCW and our London chapter co-hosted Karoline at a wanel (women panel) about her book and issues surrounding Chinese millennials. A full house of 70+ attendees joined the discussion, which took place at King’s College London. The event was moderated by Rose Martin, director of YCW London’s Mentorship Programme and Senior Consultant at Impact Limited, and introduced by Jessie Lau, Asia-focused journalist and NüVoices board member. Organised by Lau and YCW London Co-Head Michael Yip, the event was made possible by a team of dedicated volunteers including writer Silvia Frosina, photographer Danny Vegel, and LSE-PKU International Affairs MSc. Candidate James Porter.