Google and its relationship with China will be the subject of a presentation at 3 p.m., Saturday, April 27 at Shoreline Community College.

Barrett Hazeltine on
"Google and the Government
of China" at SCC

Barrett Hazeltine, Professor of Engineering Emeritus at Brown University, will speak about his case study, “Google and the Government of China: A Case Study in Cross-Cultural Negotiation.” 

Hazeltine is giving the presentation at a meeting of the Washington State China Chamber of Commerce, hosted by the Brown Club of Seattle and Shoreline Community College. Co-sponsors include the Seattle 808 Club, Northwest Chinese Professionals, Seattle Chinese Entrepreneurs Club and the UW Global Business Center.

“We’re born with two ears and one mouth for a good reason; we should listen more than we speak,” Hazeltine says, paraphrasing the Greek philosopher Epictetus. “Google’s goals include providing high-speed access to information, earning profit, and promoting itself as the search engine of choice. Google’s mission used to be, ‘Do no evil,’ but the company no longer touts its ethical origins while pursuing profit."

According to the company’s website, the motto has morphed into, “You can make money without doing evil.”

Of China, Hazeltine says: “The government of China, in contrast, wants to protect its own Internet search company, Baidu, and address a brain drain of scientific and technological expertise. China wants access to cutting-edge technology, but also to set limits on Internet use to maintain its political power.”

For almost 50 years, Hazeltine has been a professor of engineering at Brown University. His teaching and research interests are in technology planning especially in developing countries, teaching of technology for liberal arts students and entrepreneurship.

After the lecture, the Washington China Chamber of Commerce will host a networking opportunity to meet and connect with Chinese-American professionals in the greater Seattle region who are doing business with or interested in doing business with China.

China Chamber Networking Event - Google China Case Study

Saturday, April 27, 2013, 3 to 6pm

Main Dining Room Building #9000 Shoreline Community College

16101 Greenwood Ave. North, Shoreline, WA (map)

Price: $10.00/per person

Register online.