FORMER prime minister Kevin Rudd has joined global business and political heavyweights as an adviser on a new, $US300 million, China-focused scholarship program established by a billionaire US businessman.
Stephen Schwarzman, the chairman and co-founder of global investment firm Blackstone, has established a scholarship program aimed at creating a network of future leaders with a deep understanding of, and connection to, China.
Mr Rudd will sit alongside former French president Nicolas Sarkozy, former UK PM Tony Blair, ex-Canadian PM Brian Mulroney and three former US secretaries of state on the high-powered advisory board for the Schwarzman Scholars program.
Four Australians will be among the 200 scholars taken into the program each year, starting 2016, and trained at a new campus Mr Schwarzman is building at Beijing's prestigious Tsinghua University.
Mr Schwarzman, a philanthropist whose personal wealth is estimated at more than $US6 billion, used $100 million of his own money to establish the program, which he said would foster understanding of China and reduce potential conflict as it grew in global economic stature.
"In the 21st century, China is no longer an elective course, it's core curriculum," he said.
The Schwarzman Scholars program will emulate the famous Rhodes Scholarship program created by British businessman and statesman Cecil Rhodes and will be the largest charitable fundraising effort in China's history.
Mr Schwarzman said Mr Rudd had been recommended to him as a board member because of the politician's knowledge of China, including his fluency in Mandarin.
"I was introduced to Kevin at Davos this year at the World Economic Forum," Mr Schwarzman said.
"He said, 'if you'd like my help I'd be glad to do it'."
Mr Schwarzman and Mr Rudd recorded an interview for a leading Chinese TV program this week.
"I'd say Kevin was certainly one of the leading stars of the show," Mr Schwarzman said.
"He has a lot of opinions and also a lot of knowledge on this particular subject."
Mr Schwarzman has raised an additional $US100 million from personal and corporate donors to date but is still seeking a further $US100 million.
So far there are no Australian donors, corporate or individual, on the list.
Mr Schwarzman said graduates of the program would have the potential to become leaders in their field, ranging from politics and business to the arts and media.
"They can really become thought leaders, not only interpreting China but impacting China," he said.
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