Hans van de Ven is a historian of modern China and the Second World War, a Fellow of the British Academy, and a Chair Professor at Peking University. Born and raised in the Netherlands, he began his study of Chinese history on a whim—only to find a lifelong calling that has seen him become one of the most respected voices in the field.
A dedicated educator, Professor van de Ven has spent his academic career at the University of Cambridge, where he has mentored a generation of scholars who now teach at leading universities around the world.

David Rennie is Geopolitics Editor at The Economist and author of "The Telegram" column. He joined The Economist in 2007. From 2007-2010, he served as the magazine's EU correspondent and "Charlemagne" columnist, based in Brussels. From 2010-2012, he was British political editor and "Bagehot" columnist in London. In the summer of 2012, he moved to Washington, D.C., where he served as "Lexington" columnist (2012-2017), and Washington bureau chief (2013-2018). From 2018 to September 2024, he was The Economist's Beijing bureau chief and "Chaguan" columnist. Prior to joining The Economist, he worked on the foreign staff of The Daily Telegraph, with postings in Sydney, Beijing, Washington, D.C., and Brussels. He receviced the 2010 UACES/Thomson Reuters "Reporting Europe" award. In 2023, the Asia Society awarded the 2023 Osborn Elliott Prize for Excellence in Journalism on Asia to David Rennie and Sue-Lin Wong in recognition of their coverage of China.