AGLN Blog

The China Fellowship Program (established in 2013) aims to select and energize China’s business leaders to move from success to significance by encouraging them to give back to their communities. Each Fellow in the program has been selected because they have achieved real success in their careers and, yet, are at a point in their lives where they'd like to have a broader impact. The program is designed to guide these leaders through a personal journey of reflection, insight and action in an area where they'd like to make that impact. Spring Fu leads this team of leaders in her role as the managing director of the program. Prior to her current role, Spring led the Young Global Leaders (YGL) Program at the World Economic Forum in Greater China and Asia Pacific region. By working closely with leaders from diverse sectors, Spring has cultivated over ten years of cross-culture strategic communication, experience design, community building, and business development experience. She aims to employ what she’s learned from these experiences to further the China Fellowship Program’s goal: energizing China’s private sector business leaders to step up to the China’s challenges in a meaningful fashion.
 
What did you learn from leading the Young Global Leaders Program at the World Economic Forum? How are the Fellowships of the AGLN different from YGL and others?
I learned that even though these leaders are titans of industry, they are still human. What humanizes them to me is both their humble origins and sincerity. Most of these leaders have lived in two very different worlds in a journey from small villages to corporate boardrooms. I appreciate their sincerity and believe that it is a crucial aspect of communication. It is the foundation upon which any meaningful exchange is built. AGLN Fellowships are especially well-suited to fostering this kind of sincere communication due to their intimacy. Relative to other organizations, the Aspen environment encourages a greater deal of collaboration. Encouraging collaboration is important, but it can be challenging to bring passionate people with differing views onto the same page while simultaneously discouraging groupthink. Maintaining this balance is at least as rewarding as it is challenging, because this Fellowship is an effective catalyst at inspiring positive changes in its Fellows.
 
Are there any characteristics of the 80 of China Fellows that they share in common?
China Fellows are almost all from the private sector, and they share an outstanding entrepreneurial spirit. You can see the unstoppable drive in their eyes as they search for the next summit to conquer.
Additionally, they all have a vibrant sense of curiosity. They are very interesting and versatile group of people. They are more than just the titles on their business cards. Beyond their business personas, they are also great story tellers, historians, marathon runners, music critics, poets and adventurers. They are knowledgeable and passionate about political science, psychology, gastronomy, sociology and art. I can see sparks in their eyes when they discuss these subjects. Having a passion like that is a great boon. Their boundless passion and curiosity are what propel them forward as they achieve great things.
 
What are some of the ventures of current China Fellows that inspire you?
The Aspen experience has given the Fellows a special opportunity to retreat from China’s extremely fast paced society. It allowed them a moment to reflect, and to collaborate with similarly minded Fellows. Though many see the program as highly inspirational and beneficial, language (English) is still a barrier to reaching more business leaders in China, as the vast majority do not have the privilege of fluency. I am inspired by Fellows who seek to make the program more accessible to Chinese leaders who do not speak English. In the hope of bringing this leadership experience to more Chinese entrepreneurs and leaders, some China fellows are initiating a “localized” version inspired by their Aspen experience. They aim to integrate Chinese language, culture and philosophy into the program and thus make the Aspen experience more inclusive and diverse.
What are your hopes for China Fellowship Program at this point in time?
People are key. My top priority will always be finding the best and the most suitable Fellows. Secondly, I aim to build a shared identity that will inspire pride in all China Fellows: a set of values that unites Fellows and gives the community a shared sense of purpose. Thirdly, I hope this Fellowship leaves a concrete and lasting impact on China.

I also hope that China Fellows will be able to share their important and diverse perspectives, as well as their stories, with the rest of the AGLN Fellows. The stories of the China Fellows weave together into an ornate tapestry that tells the story of China as a whole. Positively and sincerely communicating that story to the world, as well as to other Fellows, is crucial to building bridges between cultures and more understanding world.

What is one fun fact about you that is not in your bio?
Ironically, while I’m fond of sky-diving and paragliding, I’m afraid of ordinary cats and dogs!