Seminar on Chinese Grassroots Media: In Search of Free Thinking
Date: April 3, 2007
Time: 1:00p.m. to 3:00p.m.
Venue: Foundation Chamber, G/F, Eliot Hall, The University of Hong Kong
Isaac Mao, Shanghai-based blogger, software architect, entrepreneur and investor, will speak of the emergence of China's new media and the barriers to free speech and free thinking on the mainland.
Rapidly-emerging grassroots media (including blogs, wikis, and other forms of social software) have changed China's media landscape dramatically in just 4 years. They have triggered business, social and political changes. But Mao believes that barriers to free thinking within the Chinese mind - such as self-censorship - remain the biggest barrier to revolutionary social change.
Mao recently made waves in the technology world with his open letter to Google, challenging the search engine giant to support anti-censorship efforts and change its strategy in China.
Isaac Mao divides his time between research, social works, business and technology. He runs or advises several non-profit programs and for-profit businesses in China.
As one of China's earliest bloggers, Isaac is co-founder of CNBlog.org, the earliest evangelizing site in China on grassroots publishing. He is also co-organizer of Chinese Blogger Conference (2005 in Shanghai, 2006 in Hangzhou).
More about Isaac Mao Website: http://www.isaacmao.com/
English blog: http://www.isaacmao.com/meta