The Philippine Association for Chinese Studies (PACS) awarded Jaime FlorCruz, former Beijing Bureau Chief for both CNN and Time Magazine, with the distinction of “Honorary Fellow.”
The professional, non-profit and non-partisan association awards the Honorary Fellow distinction to people who have contributed to the academic field of Chinese Studies, a dynamic field involving topics ranging from diplomacy and international relations to medicine.
Mr. FlorCruz’s rich experiences
Before being named Honorary Fellow, Mr. FlorCruz served as Beijing Bureau Chief for both CNN and Time Magazine, where he was able to provide colleagues and interested individuals knowledge on Philippine-China relations and events happening in China.
His rich experience in China helped him get to where he is; he has worked, studied, and travelled in China for over 40 years and he is fluent in Mandarin Chinese, too.
He started out as a reporter for Newsweek Magazine and from there, worked his way to Time and CNN.
Over those decades, he witnessed the significant events that define modern Chinese history. He witnessed the post-Mao Zedong reforms, the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, and the 1997 handover of Hong Kong back to China, among others.
Now, he is an adjunct professor at Peking University.
What the distinction Honorary Fellow entails
The distinction given by PACS comes with the expectation that Mr. FlorCruz delivers a public lecture and/or writes an academic paper. These will give the public a better view of his expertise when it comes to Chinese Studies.
Before the pandemic, PACS would hold events onsite but now, its main platform is Zoom. Announcements of these events are also made public on the Facebook page of the association, where, on many occasions, viewers may watch them via livestream as well.
Credits: Philippine Association for Chinese Studies, CNN, ChinaFile (Cover Photo)
