Dr. Xuan Li is a 2002 MPP alumnus from China. She was a government official in China prior to pursuing her master’s degree in public policy at KDI School. She received a master’s degree in international law and economics from the World Trade Institute in Switzerland, and received her PhD in Economics from the University of St Gallen, Switzerland.

Currently, she is the Programme Coordinator of the Innovation, Access to Knowledge and Intellectual Property Programme (IAKP) at South Centre. She is also serving as Director of the South Centre distance learning course on “Intellectual Property Policy and Development,” jointly implemented with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research. The South Centre is an intergovernmental organization of developing countries with its headquarters in Geneva. It is also a think-tank with full intellectual independence in pursuing its objectives of promoting South solidarity, South-South cooperation, and coordinated participation by developing countries in international forums. The South Centre is intended to meet the need for analysis of development problems and experience, as well as to provide the intellectual and policy support required by developing countries for collective and individual action, particularly in the international arena.

The IAKP which Dr. Xuan Li is heading is one of the three institutional vehicles of the South Centre. It adopts an interdisciplinary approach, seeking to bring economic, legal, scientific, political-economy and related research, as well as policy analysis, to bear on the on-going formulation of policy responses to the development challenges facing developing countries, including least-developed countries, with respect to generating, absorbing, adapting and assimilating various advances in knowledge and technology. The aim is to contribute to the development, coordinated use, and or improvement of the capacities of these countries and their institutions to integrate the development dimension into their policies on innovation, access to knowledge, and intellectual property.

In particular the IAKP, through a range of theoretical and empirical research, policy advice and capacity building activities, contributes to strategic thinking on options for such policies, and the better participation of developing countries in a wide range of multinational and regional negotiations related to intellectual property, such as the World Intellectual Property Organization, World Trade Organization, World Health Organization, and World Customs Organization.

When asked about her experiences at KDI School, Dr. Xuan Li said “KDI School reshaped my life significantly. My subsequent learning and working experience at the Asian Development Bank, World Trade Institute, International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development, and South Centre were built on my learning at the KDI School.”

She thinks that she benefited a lot from KDI School in terms of research productivity and the stature of its faculty, the quality of the education it delivers, as well as the facilities it offers. “It was not only an institution in which we could sit in lecture rooms to learn from experienced faculty members, but also a place where we could interact with and challenge these scholars directly in seminar and intimate class settings. It was particularly invaluable to be taught by faculty with a perfect combination of both academic excellence and very rich policymaking experiences.”

In particular, Dr. Xuan Li mentioned Dean Lim, the Founder of KDI School. “I learnt how to observe the world and position myself in a broader context. A person who can better contribute to the world must be someone who has a global vision, cares for the people, and is prepared to serve the world. Courage, persistence and wisdom come after position-setting. I believe this was the source of power that helped me to conquer many unexpected difficulties later on and join an international organization.”

Lastly, she shared with us the advice of a senior officer at the United Nations, “Self-determination is essential. Nothing can be done if you do not have dreams. Know where you are, and figure out what you want to achieve, then act with great efforts. Be prepared.”

By Zhonglei LIU (2009 MBA, China)