CUSEF President James Chau was invited to moderate a discussion on climate and health at The Carter Center in Atlanta, Georgia, marking 45 years after normalization of U.S.-China relations.

The panelists were Dr. Jeffrey Koplan, former Director and 26 year veteran of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Deborah Seligsohn, an assistant professor of political science at Villanova University. Mr. Chau, who also serves as a World Health Organization Goodwill Ambassador, highlighted the critical but often neglected link between climate and health; the relationship with environmental, social and public health determinants; and the outcomes for the well-being of eight billion people globally.

The event was part of the Jimmy Carter Forum, honoring the 39th President of the United States, and his decision with China's Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping to normalize relations in January 1979. The conference was opened by U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns and China's Ambassador to the U.S. Xie Feng. Earlier in January, CUSEF hosted the first U.S. college delegation of 2024 when students from Columbia University's School of International Public Affairs visited Beijing, Chengdu, and Shenzhen.