Liu Yongchuan

Liu Yongchuan (Liu Yong-chuan, Chinese: 刘永川, American name: Alex Liu) was a Chinese dissident, and was the founding president of the Independent Federation of Chinese Students and Scholars. Now, he is a known expert of social measurement and a director of the RM Institute, with his work focusing on measuring democracy, entrepreneurship and spiritual capital.

Biography

Liu Yongchuan was born in Jinggangshan of China, and was a believer of Mao Zedong at his youth. In late 1980s, he became a believer of democracy and studied democracy in Stanford University under America's leading democracy scholars Seymour Martin Lipset and Larry Diamond. From 1989 to 1990, he was the president of the Independent Federation of Chinese Students and Scholars and became a well known pro-democracy activist. From 1990 to 1991, he was the president of the Global Chinese Students Union. In 1993, he published a book on patterns and results of the third democratization wave. In late 1990s, Liu Yongchuan started to research spiritual movements and promote a fourth way of national development - a new capitalism led by spiritual capital. He believes that socialism, traditional capitalism and the Third Way (centrism) or Democratic socialism all failed. Now, only the fourth way advocated by him and others is sustainable.

Liu Yongchuan obtained a B.S. of mechanical engineering from the Northwestern Polytechnical University in 1981, a M.A. of Sociology from the Peking University in 1986, a M.S. of Statistical Computing and a Ph.D. of Sociology from the Stanford University in 1992 and 1993.

Liu Yongchuan worked as a research fellow and a senior consultant for the Hoover Institution, Stanford University Asia-Pacific Research Center, IBM Research, the Enterprise Network of Silicon Valley, the Beyster Institute at University of California, San Diego, UNDP and USAID. Also, Dr. Liu taught advanced research methods in the Paul Merage School of Business, the Marshall School of Business and the Political Science Department at the University of Southern California.

References

* [http://www.researchmethods.org/alex.htm Profile of Liu Yong-chuan (Alex Liu)]
* [http://www.cecc.gov/pages/roundtables/120902/blacklistFu.php China Enforced Exile of Dissident]
* [http://www.researchmethods.org/ma-award.htm Media Alliance Award to Liu Yongchuan]
* [http://www.ifcss.net Independent Federation of Chinese Students and Scholars history site]
* [http://www.researchmethods.org/demomeasure.htm Democracy Measurement Project led by Liu]
* [http://www.rminst.org/sci the Spiritual Capital Index]
* [http://www.amazon.com/dp/0819191248 Liu Yong-chuan's book - Pattern and Results of the Third Democratization Wave]
* [http://www.researchmethods.org/happy-life Liu Yongchuan's faith as a Christian]
* [http://www.rminst.org/4thWay.pdf the 4th Way]
* [http://www.researchmethods.org/ the RM Institute website]