Yajie SONG

Address & Contact Major Positions Holding or Held Adjunct Positions Professional Membership Education Area of Expertise Professional Activities Teaching Selected Bibliography

5 Highview Drive, Woodbridge, Connecticut 06525-1933, USA
Phone:  (203) 397-0898, Fax:  (203) 389-5499; Cell (001) 203-376-2840
songyaj@aol.com, yajie.song@yale.edu

Major Positions Holding or Held:

• Executive Director of Yale-Tsinghua Environment and Sustainable Development Leadership Program,2002 - Present;
• Associate Research Scientist (Sustainable Development, Executive Education, Practice of Urban Ecosystem & Social Forestry, International Development & Economics), Yale University, June 1998 – Present;
• Director, Yale University Sustainable Development Leadership Program (SDLP) April 1999 – 2002;
• Co-Principle Investigator, Yale-SJTU Shanghai Ecocity (SHECO) for the 21st Century, Sept 1996 - Present;
• Chief Representative, PCC Specialty Products, Inc. (USA), Shanghai Office, Shanghai, China (April 2000- September 2002);
• Marketing Manager – Asia Pacific, PCC Specialty Products, Inc. (USA), (February 1992- September 2002);

Adjunct Positions:

• Senior Research Scholar, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Sept 2002 – Present;
• Vice President (Sustainable Development & Executive Education), International Fund for China’s Environment, USA, Nov 2002 – Present;
• Adjunct Professor, School of Economics and Business Management, Lanzhou University, 2002-Present;
• Member of Advisory, Research and Development Committee, Beijing Forestry University, 2002-Present;
• Adjunct Associate Professor, State Kay Lab of Arid-agroecology, Lanzhou University, 1996-2002;
• Consultant, United Nations Development Programme, 2001-2002;
• Adjunct Professor of Urban Ecosystem, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 1997-2000;
• Consultant, United Nations Development Programme & The World Bank, 1997;
• Advisor, Committee of China Urban Development Report (CUDR), China Academy of Sciences, Sept. 2001- Present.
• Consultant, International and Development Economist – Asia and China for The Altman Companies, USA (1984-1996); William-White & Co., USA (1986-1990); C&J Industries, Inc., USA (1985-1997); Vitramon Inc., Thomas & Betts, USA (1987-1992) ; T. Sendzimir Engineering Co., USA (1984-1995);

Professional Membership:

• Member of American Association for the Advancement of Sciences, USA;
• Member of American Economist Association, USA;
• Member of Board of Development, Beijing Forestry University.

Education:

• 1995-1998 Yale University, Postdoctoral Associate
• 1989-1995 Yale University, Doctor of Forestry & Environment Sciences (PhD)
• 1988-1989             Yale University, Master of Forestry Sciences (MFS)
• 1986-1987             Yale University, International & Development Economics (MA Honors)
• 1985-1986             Alliance College, Cambridge Springs, PA, USA (Industrial Management and International Economics)  (BS Honors)
• 1980-1985             Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China (Economics & English) (BA Honors)

Area of Expertise:

Dr. Yajie Song's current research and development focuses on environmental, social and ecological sustainable development in China and the USA. Improving the sustainability in human dominated habitats/ecosystems is of his particular interest.  Within his strength, he spends much of his time on theories of sustainable development, co-management plans of community lands, and to initiate, develop and implement capacity building leadership programs for Chinese decision-makers from governments, corporations, universities and NGOs. 

His current research projects in China include:  environment & sustainable development leadership training – a joint program with Tsinghua University and previously with Nanjing Forestry University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University over a variety of topics concerning the wisdom of the leaders regarding sustainable development, urban ecosystem theory and assessment and industrial environmental management (with Aetna School of Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University), water-harvesting in northwest China (with Lanzhou University), upper Yangtze River watershed ecosystem ecology (with Sichuan University), community forest management system in southern rural China.  Since the 1980s, he has conducted research on the share-holding integrated forestry tenure system in Sanming prefecture, Fujian Province, China.  His research in this area is the one and only most detailed and long-term monitoring of adaptation and evolution of community land management systems. 

In addition, Dr. Song has led (1990-2002) sustainable market research and development for PCC-Reed Rico and PCC-Eldorado, divisions of PCC Specialty Products, Inc., a US leading aerospace component manufacturer. He also has worked as an expert of international and development economics in Asia and Pacific regions and has advised several US corporations during since mid-1980s.

Professional Activities:

• Yale-Tsinghua Environment for Sustainable Development Program (ESDLP) – Dr. Song is the initiator and Executive Director of the ESDLP that is geared to training of Chinese leaders including governmental officials, senior executives, leaders from other public, private and institutions and organizations.  Both Yale and Tsinghua are known “the cradles of top leaders” thanks to their influence over the shaping of public policy and significant public works.  Their partnership exhibits a high level of academic authority and leadership impact.  Dr. Song is a crucial contributor of the Program.  He has envisioned the Program from its beginning and oversees its daily activities.  The first Seminar will focus on the construction of the 21st century’s metropolis and cities due to China’s rapid progress of urbanization.  Mayors of cities with populations of 500,000 or more will participate, co-organized by China State Environment Protect Administration (SEPA), in the ESDLP Seminar in Beijing and Europe in May 30-June 20, 2004.
• China Urban Development Report (CUDR) - Dr. Song is co-initiator and Member of Advisory Committee of China Urban Development Report (CUDR).   CUDR is a research NPO and NGO initiated in November 2001 by 15 senior scholars and researchers led by Professor NIU Wenyuan, Chief Scientist of the Sustainable Development Group at Academy of Science, People’s Republic of China.  CUDR presents an annual report, evaluating the performance and carrying capacity of sustainability of over 668 Chinese cities by 10 major sustainable assessment metrics and methods in Chinese and English.  The report informs leaders of China, of China’s ministries officials, congressmen and congresswomen, governors, mayors and university presidents as well as selected international organization leaders.
• Special Project for Administrators and Researchers from Key-institutions (SPARK) Project – Along with bringing Yale faculty to China, Dr. Song and Associate Dean Geballe are devoted to bringing qualified students to Yale. The Special Project for Administrators and Researchers from Key-institutions exemplifies their efforts.  Since the establishment of the project in 1996, it has aimed at providing interdisciplinary and environmental leadership education at Yale SFES for qualified candidates from China.  About ten students have either completed or still conducting their studies at FES as Master’s, Ph.D., or visiting scholars.  The SPARK program continues to bring fresh minds into FES, and likely is this program evolving into formal joint educational programs with international universities in near future.  Currently, negotiation over the agreement is on-going.
• Sustainable Development Leadership Program – Shanghai Special Industrial Environmental Management (IEM) Seminar – Dr. Song is the Director of SDLP Shanghai Special IEM Seminar, an intensive executive training course on environmental management, industrial ecology and sustainable development.  This Seminar was conducted in May 5-11, 2002 and co-organized by the Sustainable Development Leadership Program and the Industrial Environment Management Program of Yale FES and Aetna School of Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University.  Forty-two leaders from thirty-three corporations and organization in China participated in the five-day seminar with constructive and inspiring feedback
• Sustainable Development Leadership Program (SDLP) – After three year of planning and preparation, Dr. Song successfully launched the first two sessions of Sustainable Development Leadership Program in Nanjing, China, in 2000 and 2001 respectively.  This program brought together diversified and qualified participants who worked collaboratively with program faculty to examine sustainable development from unconventional perspectives to test new solutions and obtain feedback on implementation strategies. SDLP has trained ninety-six leaders from governments, corporations, universities, and other public and private sectors, exhibiting an increasing respect and recognition in China.  SDLP demonstrated Yale’s significance and capacity in leadership training in China with its quality education and research.
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) - Dr. Song was the Consultant to the China City Planning, Management & Development for the 21st Century Program, the second largest UNDP Project in China, which would set the development model for China’ medium and large cities in the 21st Century.  He joined the Project Feasibility Assessment Team as one of the two international experts.  He visited and evaluated the six selected pilot cities and provided city-specific advice on eco-city designing and implementation.  He co-composed the Project Final Document for UNDP China and China International Center for Economic & Technology Exchange, the UNDP acting agent in China.
• Gaoyao International Symposium on Green Economy and Sustainable Development – Dr. Song initiated and organized this symposium in Gaoyao City, Guangdong Province of China. Over two hundred people from southern China participated in the event.  The Symposium established a model for planning urban sustainable development and organizing short-run international symposia in China’s middle-level cities.  This model and has been widely adopted.
• Share-holding Integrated Forestry Tenure (SHIFT) Project – Dr. Song initiated SHIFT project during his study at Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies in 1980s. “It is the system that is termed SHIFT (Shareholding Forestry Tenure) by Yajie Song (1991, 1996), and his reporting on the system in Sanming Prefecture of Fujian Province the most detailed account we have of the system” (John Bruce, 2000).  Dr. Song continues to work on the project. During the summer of 2001, he conducted new field research that revealed extensive changes. The follow-up research paper has been published on Forest Ecology and Management April 13 (2004).
• China Water Harvest Technologies (WHT) in Northwest China – Dr. Song envisioned the collaboration between Yale SFES and Lanzhou University and initiated this project in 1994.  Hereafter, Education Department of P. R. China funded seven Yale faculty visiting-groups to Lanzhou University during 1996 and 1997.  The project has been sustained through intensified fieldwork by doctoral students and faculty exchanges. 
• Shanghai Ecocity for the 21st Century (SHECO) Project – Dr. Song co-initiated the SHECO Project with Aetna School of Management (ASOM) of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) in 1996. This project is the first project on economic evaluation of urban ecosystem of Shanghai, the biggest city of China, by ASOM of SJTU, one of the top universities in China.  Later, ASOM of SJTU broadened its research and education from solely economic optimization to a combination of economic and environmental balance.  SHECO’s progress was highlighted at SDLP Shanghai Special Seminar for Industrial Environment Management in May 2002.
• United Nations Development Programme / The World Bank - Dr. Song was Consultant to China Key Studies Development Project (CR. 2210-CA).  He visited and assessed six Chinese national environment research laboratories across the country in June 1997.  He advised on planning, management and development and co-authored “China Key-Study Project Environment-Oriented Laboratory Evaluation Report” to the World Bank, UNDP and Chinese Government.

Dr. Song has actively participated in teaching college students and mid-career leaders in Asia, particularly China.  Lecture topics include:

• Environment for Sustainable Development in Asia Pacific
• Theories, Methods, & Implementations of Sustainability
• Urban Planning, Management and Development in China
• Executive Education on Industrial Environmental Management
• Ecosystem Ecology & Social and Community Forestry in Asia
• Natural Resource Management and Systems in China
• Green Economy, Marketing & Global Green Supply Chain
• Sustainable Marketing Development and Investment in Asia

• Rural Natural Resources Management System Reform
• Yajie Song, Guoqian Wang, W.R. Burch, Jr., M. A. Rechlin, From Innovation to Adaptation – Lessons from Twenty Years of SHIFT Forest Management System in Sanming, China,  Forest Ecology and Management 191/1-3 (2004): pp. 225-238. 
• M.A. Rechlin, A.L. Hammett, W.R. Burch, Y. Song, Sharing the Wealth: A Comparative Study of the Distribution of Benefits from Community Forestry Management in Southern China and Nepal. Journal of Sustainable Forestry, Volume 15 (2) 2002:  1-23.
• Yajie Song, William Burch, Jr., Gordon Geballe, Liping Geng.  New Organizational Strategy for Managing Southeast China’s Forests: the Share Holding Integrated Forestry Tenure (SHIFT) System. Forest Ecology and Management 91 (1997): 183-194. 
• Yajie Song, “Share Holding Integrated Forestry Tenures—a Case from South China”, UMI, University Microfilms International, Ann Arbor, 1995.
• Yajie Song, “The Experiment of the Share Holding Forestry Tenure Management in Southern China”, A Research Paper presented to the IUFRO Tsukaba Symposium, Japan, 1991. 
• Theories, Methods and Practice of Sustainable Development
• Yajie Song, Wenyuan Niu, Graeme Berlyn.  3T, 3M & 3P—Core Questions of Sustainable Development Leadership.  Publication in process.
• World Bank and UNDP China Mission Report
• Jared Cohon, Yajie Song, Gordon Geballe, etc.  Report to the UNDP – China, World Bank, Rural and Social Operations Division on the Key Studies Development Project  by the Environmental Review Team,  13 June 1997
• R.  Von Burkard, Yajie Song, etc. Report to the UNDP-China and CICETE on China City Planning, Management and Development of the 21 Century, by the UNDP-CICETE Joint Evaluation Team, April 3, 2002.
• The detail list of publication and professional articles, presentations are available upon request.