Research & Publication Contributions
Chu Wang (Author) / Institute for Research on Public Policy
Fostering Canada’s rich diversity continues to be a national priority, as emphasized in the latest speech from the throne. Yet, critics often view diversity as a zero-sum game. One recent argument insisted that promoting French-language diversity and racial diversity represents “deeply contradictory goals with little introspection,” claiming that French-language requirements discriminate against racialized people. This trade-off mentality is dangerous because it pits groups against each other. In reality, French-language diversity and racial diversity can thrive in tandem, and the federal workforce is a living example of that.
Chu Wang (Author) /
Smith Business Insight at Queen's University
Imagine living in a society where diversity and inclusion (D&I) initiatives deliver more equitable outcomes to each one of us. Where corporate D&I initiatives are so successful that organizations do not have to spend billions a year on them. This picture seems futuristic, but the ideals were front and centre when diversity and inclusion first became an issue many decades ago.
Chu Wang (Author) / Ottawa Citizen
Two events sparked global attention in June: Black Lives Matter protests and Canada’s failed UN Security Council bid. The former triggered Canada to rethink its approach to diversity, inclusion and equity. The latter triggered Canada to rethink its foreign policy. Canada’s embrace of diversity, inclusion and equity is critical at home, but it’s also key to reimagining a successful foreign policy that promotes similar values abroad. A foreign policy espousing these values leverages Canada’s unique diversity to create policies that include and empower traditionally underrepresented groups.
Chu Wang (Author) / Kennedy School Review
In the midst of the Black Lives Matter movement, Merck CEO Ken Frazier publicly stated that “it is the responsibility of corporate America to bridge [opportunity] gaps." Ken is one of only four Black Fortune 500 CEOs. Together, Black CEOs represent less than 1% of Fortune 500 CEOs despite Black workers making up 13% of the U.S. labor market. Black representation at the highest executive level is just one measure of (in)equity but a prime example of how corporations have failed to deliver more equitable outcomes through diversity and inclusion (D&I) initiatives.
Chu Wang (Author)
Refugee employment is an increasingly relevant topic in today's world. With the recent Syrian refugee crisis, the Canadian government has made clear commitments to help resettle Syrian refugees. From a physical intake lens, the government has already helped resettle about 40,000 Syrian refugees in Canada (of which about 50% are above the minimum working age). From a financial lens, the federal government is planning to spend about $300M for refugee settlement assistance (from 2016 to 2019). Although these refugees will represent only a minute share of the total Canadian workforce, they offer valuable skills and represent unlocked economic potential. As Canadians, we have a responsibility to help them transition into the workplace so that they can be fully integrated into Canada....
Chu Wang (Contributor) / UN Secretariat
As we approach the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations, the world’s leading instrument of shared progress, its purposes and principles remain as important as ever. The Organization, and its ethos of international cooperation, have yielded great and wide-ranging benefits to humankind, helping to lift millions out of poverty, uphold human rights and forge peace in troubled lands. In today’s rapidly changing world, our enduring and Charter-driven duty is to build on those achievements and ensure that all people can enjoy safety, prosperity and dignity. In that spirit, the Secretary-General’s Annual Report on the Work of the Organization offers a perspective on the state of our world – and accounts for the results the United Nations Secretariat delivers.
Chu Wang (Contributor) / CED
Like many cites, Calgary's economy is at a crossroads and must adapt. This Strategy commits us to advancing our established sectors and embracing emerging industries. It reflects both the risks and the opportunities from the unprecedented advances in technology, impacting every aspect of the economy. Our future will largely be determined by the adoption of technology, deepening our talent pool and strengthening our innovation ecosystem.
Chu Wang (Contributor) / SCMP
Chinese diplomats in Africa are robustly defending Beijing’s policies on Twitter as part of a new and sometimes aggressive public relations campaign which is playing out across the globe as the country’s envoys answer President Xi Jinping’s call to “tell China stories well".
Chu Wang (Author) / Kennedy School Review
To ensure the safe use of space, policymakers, international governing bodies, and civil society must act now to de-weaponize space. Outer space is a public good used for research, exploration, intelligence, and practical purposes like transmitting simple directional signals. Your smartphone talks to space every day, including each time you turn on a navigation app like Google Maps. Despite the already widespread – and still growing – use of space by many countries and private companies, there exist few global governance mechanisms to manage activity beyond the earth’s atmosphere. Unlike advanced governance regimes for terrestrial public goods – e.g., shipping lanes for open water or environmental assessments used to govern the Antarctica region – those for space remain in infancy.
Chu Wang (Author) / The Hill Times
As Canadian activist and journalist Desmond Cole recently said, “If Minneapolis hadn’t burned, would we be having this conversation…?” With the death of George Floyd and the dawning of a global movement, we—as Canadians—must also look inwards at our own racial biases and discrimination. Now is the time to do more than state “we must do better.” Now is the time to have the difficult and uncomfortable discussions about race with an open mind. Now is the time to define what “do better” means by acknowledging the past, understanding the present, and working together on a prosperous future.
Chu Wang (Author) / Harvard Belfer Center
Two weeks ago, a tweet cost the global stock markets roughly $1.36 trillion (or Australia’s annual GDP). With 280 characters on Twitter, the U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to raise tariffs on select Chinese imports, instilling lower market confidence, triggering significant volatility, and exacerbating existing political uncertainties. To explore what is really at stake in Twitter diplomacy, it is important to explore why Twitter diplomacy matters, why world leaders use it, what it means for diplomatic relations, and how governments can manage the associated risks.