Rajan met with Center staff to discuss operations, emerging opportunities, and the University’s global priorities.
BEIJING — Madhav Rajan, Chief Global Strategist, Steven S. Wymer Dean of the Chicago Booth School of Business, George Pratt Shultz Distinguished Service Professor of Accounting, visited the UChicago Center in Beijing on the morning of October 12, 2026. It was his first visit to the Center since taking on the University-wide global strategy role.
Despite a busy schedule in Beijing, Rajan spent nearly an hour with Center staff in a wide-ranging conversation about the Center’s operations, strategy, and future development.
During the discussion, Rajan responded to questions from staff on several priorities for the Center, including the development of revenue-generating programs, the thoughtful implementation of artificial intelligence, and the adoption of consistent standards across the University’s global locations. The group also discussed opportunities to expand student programming at the Center and deepen its contribution to the University’s academic and global engagement.
The meeting gave staff an opportunity to share perspectives from China and discuss how the Center’s local experience, relationships, and capabilities could support broader University priorities. The conversation underscored the importance of connecting UChicago’s international locations while ensuring that each location can respond effectively to its particular operating environment and community.
“Staff came away from the meeting feeling upbeat and encouraged,” said Zening Ge, Executive Director of the UChicago Center in Beijing. “We greatly appreciated Madhav making time in his busy schedule to visit the Center, hear directly from the team, and engage in such an open and substantive conversation.”
The Center looks forward to building on the discussion and continuing its collaboration with Rajan and colleagues across the University to advance UChicago’s engagement in China and around the world.
