Leading Chinese cultural figure joins the Iman Advisory Board

Iman Chairman, Ribal Al-Assad meeting Dr. Xiao in Beijing, China.

Dr. Xiao Wunan, one of China's most eminent dignitaries has joined the Iman Foundation Advisory Board.

Dr. Xiao brings with him a wealth of experience in the field of international and cross-cultural cooperation and will undoubtably prove a tremendous asset to the Foundation and our objectives. As Executive Vice Chairman of the Asia Pacific Exchange and Cooperation Foundation (APECF) he is responsible for coordinating with the United Nations, regional governmental organizations, and non-governmental organizations to seek solutions towards resolving religious and ethnic conflicts, environmental disputes and other social conflicts concerning poverty, education, health care, and unemployment.

A full biography is available below.

His appointment to the Advisory Board follows the Chairman of the Iman Foundation, Ribal Al-Assad meeting with Dr. Xiao at his office in the Asia Pacific Exchange and Cooperation Foundation, Beijing.

Commentating on the appointment, Ribal Al-Assad, Chairman of the Iman Foundation, said:

"I am delighted to welcome Dr. Xiao to the Advisory Board, having contributed a tremendous amount to the promotion of inter-cultural and religious dialogue internationally, his advice and experience will be invaluable.

The Iman Foundation has ambitious plans for the coming year and along with the our other distinguished members, Dr. Xiao will help us maximise our reach and potential. We are very proud to have him on board."

Biography

Dr. Xiao Wunan was born in Beijing where he received a Master’s degree as well as Honorary Dean & Doctorate degrees.

He has served as a leader in the Industrial & Commercial Bank of China, Foreign Economic and Trade Ministry (now the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China), United Nations Industrial Development Organization, China Association of Social, Economic and Cultural Exchange, the Foundation for the Development of Enterprises in Western China and other organisations.

Currently Dr. Xiao holds the following positions: Executive Vice Chairman, Asia Pacific Exchange and Cooperation Foundation(APECF), International Chairman, Religion and Cooperation Organization, United Nations, Vice Chairman, China Association of Social Economic and Cultural Exchange, Senior Consultant, Oxford Economics, London, Executive Director, the Board of the University of Haifa, Israel, Senior Fellow, Claremont Graduate University, USA, Visiting Professor, Dongguk University, South Korea, Honorary Director, Research Center for Contemporary China, Peking University, China, Senior Researcher, Center for US-China Relations, Tsinghua University, China.

For twenty years, Dr. Xiao has been traveling around the world, contributing to the resolution of regional and religious conflicts, poverty reduction and public welfare reform.

He was been recognised as one of the most outstanding National Young Talents by the Chinese Youth League and as an “Envoy of World Peace and Culture” by UNESCO. He has also received the title of Board Member and Honor Ambassador of the Jacques Rougerie Foundation for his outstanding contribution to cooperation and exchange between China and France.

Dr. Xiao is also a member of the editorial board of “China's White Paper on Foreign Trade and Economy” and the “WTO (World Trade Organization) Training Concise Textbook Series”. He is the Editor-in-Chief for “Classic Characters of Buddhism in China” which has been recognised by the U.S. Congress, Stanford University, and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. “The Collection of Chinese Buddhist Temple Attractions”, edited by Mr. Xiao for ten years, has about 15 million words. It is a key book-publishing project of China's "12th Five-Year Plan” as well as the most authoritative book of such publications in China.