Robert Menasse (Novelist and essayist, Senior Fellow at Stiftung Mercator)

Robert Menasse is an Austrian novelist and essayist. He studied German Studies, Philosophy and Political Science in Vienna, Salzburg and Messina and gained his Ph.D in 1980. Between 1981 and 1988, Robert Menasse worked as a visiting professor at the Institute of Literature Theory at the University of São Paulo, Brazil. Since returning to Europe from Brazil, he has mainly lived in Berlin, Vienna, Amsterdam and Brussels as a free writer. His novels are translated into twelve languages.

1996 Writer in Residence at the New York University, 1999 Artist in Residence in Amsterdam, 2007 Poetic-Lectures at University Frankfurt.

Most recently, he wrote about the future of Europe and the European Union, reporting EU-reality, reconstructing the EU idea, criticizing tendencies of re-nationalization and anti-European integration movements (Der europäische Landbote, 2012, and Heimat ist die schönste Utopie, 2014). Currently, Robert Menasse is a Senior Fellow at Stiftung Mercator. In the context of his Mercator fellowship, he has a strong research focus on the current state and future prospects of European democracy.

Li Er (Novelist)

Li was born in Jiyuan, Henan Province, in 1966. Graduating from East China Normal University in Shanghai in 1987, Li currently works as a writer and researcher at the National Museum of Modern Chinese Literature, and also as a part-time professor at both East China Normal University and Beijing Normal University. Li's books include Colorature (《花腔》) and Cherry on a Pomegranate Tree (《石榴树上结樱桃》). He is a winner of the First Dingjun Double Year Prize for Literature in the 21st Century, the First Mass Media Award for Chinese Literature, and the Zhuang Zhongwen Award in Literature, among others. Li’s book Colorature was selected as one of the Best 10 full-length novels of the 30 Years of New Period Literature (1979-2009).His works have been translated into English, German, French, Korean and Japanese and published overseas.

Michael Kahn-Ackermann(Stiftung Mercator China Special Representative)

The Mercator Salon is a series of events run by Stiftung Mercator in Beijing. The salons provide a platform for Chinese and Europeans to exchange ideas and opinions on topical issues relevant to culture and society. The first three rounds of Mercator Salons took place from October 2012 to November 2013 on the topics of “Cultural Metropolis – Metropolitan Culture”, “Money and Happiness” and “Intellectuals and the Role of Science in China and Europe.”

In 2014 Stiftung Mercator will cooperate with Lens magazine in organizing a new round of Mercator Salons on the concepts of “Future” and “Home,” which are held in summer and autumn 2014 respectively.

For more information about Mercator Salon, please visit: www.mercatorsalon.de/en

Stiftung Mercator

Stiftung Mercator is one of the largest private foundations in Germany. It pursues clearly defined objectives in its thematic clusters of integration, climate change and arts education and achieves these objectives with a combination of socio-political advocacy and practical work. Stiftung Mercator implements its own projects and supports external projects in its centres for science and humanities, education and international affairs.

Currently, Stiftung Mercator is funding several projects in China: school and youth exchanges, multiplier encounters and fellowship programs for young managers in the areas of civil society, politics, academia and business. We are working on creating a better and more nuanced understanding of Chinese and European reality in the respective other region through long-term partnership and cooperation.

Please see www.stiftung-mercator.de/en for more information.

Lens

Launched in 2005, Lens is a monthly photo-journalistic magazine that explores stories of human nature and reflects social realities. The magazine’s contents focuses on individuals, society, arts, and other various cultural events. Dedicated to incorporating stunning photography with groundbreaking reporting and an edgy perspective, Lens provides a comprehensive reading experience and is one of the most valuable magazines in China.

www.lensmagazine.com.cn