Master Class Description

The lecture will explore the growing confrontation between China and the US in different fronts, built around the so called “New Silk Road of the XXI century”.

Historically speaking, “the Silk Road” has been the oldest and most emblematic international trade route in the world, dating back to the 6th century b.C.

In the 21st century, the “New Silk Road” is one Chinese initiative to help China to become the hegemonic power on Earth by 2050, displacing the US as the global leading power.

At the lecture we will discuss the past, present and future of the Silk Road, and how it´s going to be a key element to reshape the existing World Order as we know it.

We will describe the “Silk Road” as it was: a physical communication network linking the East and the West since 2,600 year ago, mainly by land but also by sea. We will describe its origins, rise and decline of the Road at the end of the Middle Age.

We will explore the present and the future of the New Silk Road, embodied by the BRI (“Belt and Road Initiative”): a u$s 1 Trillion initiative promoted by the Chinese government to develop infrastructure projects (roads, ports, power plants, telecommunication networks) that connect China with the rest of the world.

Ultimately, "The New Silk Road" is a “wallet-based diplomacy”, the strategy designed by the Chinese government to make China the global leading power by the year 2050, displacing the United States from its current position of leadership.

Therefore, we will comment on the growing confrontation between China and the USA in different battle fronts: commercial, financial, monetary, technological, reputational and military, and its impact on the rest of the world, including Asia, Europe, Africa and Latin America, with a special focus on the changes taking place since Donald Trump became the new President of the US.

Professor Biography

Fernando Cortiñas (Buenos Aires, 1962) is an Argentine-Spanish professional with more than 35 years of international work experience in leading multinationals and as a professor in leading academic institutions in Europe and America.

He graduated with honors and various awards as a Bachelor of Business Administration and Public Accountant from the Universidad Católica Argentina (Buenos Aires, 1986), and obtained an MBA from Harvard Business School (Boston, 1992).

His professional career has had a double journey, corporate and academic.

Agenda

18h30 – 19h00 : Welcoming attendees

19h00 – 20h30 : Master Class

20h30 – 21h30 : Networking Drink

Master Class: "China and the US in a Changing World: The Silk Road’s Influence".