Dao Xiang - for future leaders in London and Shanghai

What is Dao Xiang?

Dao Xiang is a Common Purpose Venture that will expand, enrich and energise relations between London and Shanghai. It will bring together leaders from both places to learn and work together in a fresh and exciting way, and as a result develop innovative approaches to new - and old - problems. The next Dao Xiang Venture takes place in Shanghai from the 1 - 4 July 2013.

The first Dao Xiang Venture took place in London between 2-5 July 2012.

"Dao Xiang is a great project. Bringing together the brightest and best young leaders from Shanghai and London is a fantastic way to learn from each other and strengthen the developing bonds between our two great cities.I know previous Common Purpose projects have delivered some creative, innovative solutions to different problems and I can't wait to see the ideas that are produced this time."

BORIS JOHNSON, MAYOR OF LONDON

"Helping emerging leaders to lead internationally and build relationships across cultural boundaries has never been more important. The Dao Xiang Venture will connect future leaders from two of the most exciting cities in the world and create new opportunities for collaboration between London and Shanghai, growing and strengthening the bond between these two entrepreneurial cities."

JUDE KELLY, DAO XIANG ADVISORY GROUP

How will it work?

The Dao Xiang Advisory Group, consisting of experienced and successful leaders from both countries, will identify a compelling challenge that is common to London and Shanghai.

30 leaders (15 from London and 15 from Shanghai) will gather for four days to address this challenge. The course is aimed at people in the mid to senior stages of their career with a significant track record of leadership and success in their fields and professions. They will explore the context of the challenge in greater detail before working up ideas (whether big or small) to feed back to the Advisory Group.

How can I get involved?

Apply for Dao Xiang

Download the Dao Xiang PDF

What is The Challenge?

On each Venture, participants are presented with a challenge to explore that is shared by all locations involved. Each year a different challenge will be selected for that year's participants to investigate.

The Challenge will be set by the Dao Xiang Advisory Group in advance of the event and must be:

• A compelling issue for leaders that is common to both London and Shanghai
• Significant and wide-reaching in its impact but contained in its focus to ensure the participant group can explore and present feasible and meaningful solutions.

During the four day event, participants will investigate the challenge locally, and work together to come up with ideas and recommendations.

The challenge for the second Dao Xiang Venture is as follows;

"With London and Shanghai experiencing rapid demographic shifts, how do we produce integrated healthcare models to enhance quality of life and wellness in both cities?"

Read the report from the very first Dao Xiang Venture which explored creating more sustainable cities:

What might I do through the Venture?

Meet, interview and debate with a range of leaders, all operating in very different contexts, to find out how they lead and what can be learnt from them. Develop your leadership skills and explore the context of the challenge and country relations in greater detail.

Read a blog from a recent Dishaa Venture participant on her experience in India.

What are the outcomes for participants?

Ventures help participants to:

• Grow as leaders by exposing them to people who lead differently
• Broaden and deepen their knowledge by showing them how another country and culture works
• Develop their cross cultural awareness by throwing them into a difficult task, with a very diverse group, under pressure
• Build new networks by giving them access to participants and contributors they might otherwise never meet
• Stretch their analytical and creative skills by exposing them to a new approach to innovation
• Develop their influencing skills by putting them in front of senior decision makers to present their findings.

When and how much?

The next Dao Xiang Venture will take palce from the 1-4July 2013 in Shanghai. Applications are now being accepted.

Course fees are as follows:

• £4,000 plus VAT for UK participants
• 30,000RMB for China participants

Cost includes food, accommodation and materials during the Venture. Flights are NOT included.

Scholarships

Applicants who cannot pay the full fee should not be deterred from applying.

There are a few part-scholarship places available for applicants, kindly provided to us by GlaxoSmithKline, who can demonstrate a clear need for financial assistance and who are unable to meet the full fee.

Requests for scholarships can be made via the application form but if you would like to discuss this further then please contact the Dao Xiang team in confidence.

How do I apply for the Venture?

Complete an application form today!

Applications are invited from exceptional leaders in the mid stages of their careers. You will be a skilled practitioner in your field, and keen to develop as you move towards even more senior roles within your organisations or sectors.

The course will be administered and delivered in English so participants need to be able to converse comfortably in this language.

Applicants will need to demonstrate:

• A growing record of leadership achievement and experience
• Ability to work with a multidisciplinary group to solve complex problems
• Commitment to engage with wider society/public life
• Interest in the London and Shanghai dimension of the network

All applications will be sent to the Dao Xiang Advisory Group, who will review the forms.

Applications are now being welcomed for the next Dao Xiang Venture, which will take place in Shanghai in 2013.

About the participants

Applications are invited from exceptional leaders in the mid-stage of their careers. Participants will be high achievers and skilled practitioners in their chosen fields. They will be established in their posts and capable of rapid career progression to even more senior roles.

Previous Venture participants have included a strategy consultant from an international professional services firm, a programme lead in the health service, a desk editor in the national media, a programme manager in local government, a freelance producer and artist, an asset manager in the petroleum industry, a programme officer for a world leading economic development organisation and a senior sales consultant for a large engineering company.

Read testimonials from participants on Dishaa, the UK-India Venture

Our staff

Dao Xiang is run by Common Purpose, drawing on our experience of running local leadership courses in nearly 40 cities across 12 countries around the world.

Adirupa Sengupta
Chief Executive, Common Purpose UK

Amy Ritman
Senior Course Director (currently on maternity leave)

David O'Connor
Senior Course Manager

Emma Tidmarsh
PA to CEO, Common Purpose UK

The Dao Xiang Advisory Group

Dao Xiang's leadership team will include an Advisory Group of senior level leaders with expertise in the public, government, private, cultural and not-for-profit sectors in London and Shanghai.

The responsibility of the Advisory Group is to provide strategic direction on the challenge for Dao Xiang participants, oversee the governance and administration of the application process and determine the challenge set for participants in Dao Xiang year-on-year.

Jude Kelly OBE
Artistic Director, South Bank Centre

Boris Johnson
Mayor of London

Shirlene Goldsbrough
VP, Supply Strategy, GlaxoSmithKline

Margaret Ma-Connolly
Managing Director, UBM China

Ernest Ip
PwC Senior Practitioner, China and Hong Kong

Ian Short
Chief Executive, Institute of Sustainability

Jon Williams
World News Editor, BBC

PwC firms provide industry-focused assurance, tax and advisory services to enhance value for their clients. More than 163,000 people in 151 countries in firms across the PwC network share their thinking, experience and solutions to develop fresh perspectives and practical advice. See www.pwc.com for more information.

UBM is a leading global media business which provides events; data, marketing and information products; print products; and targeting, distribution and monitoring services to specialist business communities. UBM employs more than 5,800 staff in more than 30 countries worldwide.

Cisco, (NASDAQ: CSCO), the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate, this year celebrates 25 years of technology innovation, operational excellence and corporate social responsibility. Information about Cisco can be found at www.cisco.com.