Faculty presented workshop on technology competition with China
March 8, 2023
Two DSU faculty members presented a workshop titled “Huawei, 5G, and the China-US Technology Race: A NCTA Workshop for K-12 Educators” via Zoom on Tuesday evening, March 7.
Dr. David Kenley, Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, presented a 45-minute lecture on how China’s emphasis on technology impacts society, government, economics, and international relations. Dr. David Zeng, Assistant Professor in the College of Business & Information Systems, delivered a 50-minute lecture on the state of the technology competition between China and the U.S.
“U.S.-China Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of the key issues that defines public policy, cultural and educational exchange/understanding, research and development collaboration, and international relations for years to come,” Zeng explained.
Kenley said that the two countries are world leaders in AI and other advanced cyber technologies.
The U.S. and China are competing in all emerging technologies, AI, 5G, green technologies, biotechnology, quantum technologies, and semiconductors, Zeng said.
“Clearly both countries see the development of cyber-related technologies as crucial to their bilateral as well as international relations,” Kenley said. “Both countries are eager to capitalize on the advantages of technology while avoiding some of the inevitable pitfalls.”
The workshop was funded by the Freeman Foundation through the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia.
“The funders realize that K-12 educators play a critical role in improving society’s understanding of Asia,” Kenley said. “If students have a more nuanced view of East Asia, they will be better prepared to succeed in college and assume influential roles in society.”
“Hopefully, the K-12 educators will be able to share their understanding with their students, which would improve mutual understanding between Americans and Chinese,” Zeng said.
Dr. David Zeng is an Assistant Professor in the College of Business at Dakota State University. With a Ph.D. from the University of California, Irvine, he is the director of the Center for Business Analytics Research. Zeng's research has been published in top-tier, peer-reviewed journals, including MIS Quarterly, and has been funded by internal and external grants. He received the Merrill D. Hunter Award of Excellence in Research in 2020. Currently, he teaches courses in Predictive Analytics for Decision-making, Programming for Data Analytics (Python), Business Intelligence & Visualization, Deep Learning, AI Applications, Applied AI & applications, and Strategy & Application of AI in Organizations.
Dr. David Kenley is Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Cyber Leadership and Intelligence at Dakota State University. With a Ph.D. in Chinese History, he has published four books and numerous journal articles, and is fluent in Chinese. Kenley has a successful record of program innovation, international engagement, grant writing, faculty development, strategic planning, online instruction, and many other critical areas of higher education. He is committed to the principles of diversity, equity, and international understanding.