The View from RAS Beijing: China, Technology, Community and the Future (Alan Babington-Smith and Melinda Liu)

      Coming from two people who’ve resided in China for more than two decades each, this easily could sound like a survival guide for  living and working in Beijing.  However, the key to why a society such as RASBJ has been able to survive — and thrive — in the challenging environment of China is a bigger story.  And it’s a story in which the RAS legacy has been a source of inspiration.

    RASBJ was fortunate enough to triple its membership during the pandemic years. Many people have asked us how this happened.  Luck was a factor.  However, this is also a story of harnessing new tools, new technologies, and new strategies.  It’s a story of trying to nurture a community of internationally minded people — during an intensely difficult period in China — by looking beyond borders. It’s a story of improving the quality and accessibility of what we offer, by seeking both big-name contributors and also fresh talent around the globe, and by putting their stories online.  

    It’s a story of how a modest society in Beijing reached outward, in space and time, to find fresh perspectives and new ways to collaborate with like-minded partners. That outreach strengthened and enlivened our community back home. With RASBJ just ten years old this year, it’s a story of what connects us to your prominent Society which is celebrating, with well-justified pride, its Bicentennial. We are honored and grateful to Alison and Gordon and others for including us in your activities. This year’s memorable Rajasthan expedition was the trip of a lifetime. It triggered massive interest among our members.  It helped strengthen our 2022 commitment towards a new initiative for the public good, which RASBJ will launch this autumn. And it’s an example of how the RAS legacy continues to inspire.