Cynthia Zhang

Li Zhang
Other names	Cynthia Zhang
Alma mater	Peking University Communication University of China Harvard Business School
Occupation	Cultural influencer, host and investor
Title	Project Manager of China Arab Center Ambassador of China-Arab Culture
Awards	Top 10 Outstanding Young Chinese in America

Li(Cynthia) Zhang is a Chinese cultural influencer, host and investor. She serves as the Project Manager of China Arab Center. Zhang was named as one of the "Top 10 Outstanding Young Chinese in America" in 2023. She is a leader of the World Youth Development Forum - Sino-Arab Youth Development Forum.

Education

Cynthia got her Bachelors degree from Peking University. Additionally, she holds a dual degree in Communication Studies from the Communication University of China. Currently, she is studying at the Harvard Business School.

Career timeline

In 2023, Cynthia worked to improve cross-cultural dialogue between Chinese and Arabian cultures. From 2023 onwards, she and her team set off on an exploratory journey across Saudi Arabia, documenting their experiences via a series of videos under the series, "Chinese Culture Visiting Saudi". These ventures garnered significant resonance within China, amassing an impressive billion views on domestic platforms in merely a month. Consequently, she has been lauded as the "The most beautiful culture ambassador of China-Saudi Arabia."

In September 2023, CCTV, the national broadcasting body of China, recognized Holi, a brand under Zhang's purview, as a representative of Chinese culture.

Zhang, who is an ambassador of China-Arab Culture, gained increased attention for China-Saudi cultural exchanges. In October 2023, Zhang participated in interviews conducted by CCTV's Chinese Brands Channel, Phoenix Net, and ChinaDaily. She vocalized her determinations: "As a representative of the burgeoning generation, I will continue to strive in my role as a bridge between Chinese and Saudi Arabia, furnishing the public with richer, deeper cultural narratives, whilst weaving compelling stories of China and Arabia. Culture will be the vessel through which we advance international dialogue and collaboration."

In October 2023, Zhang Li led the China-Saudi team and announced the launch of the world's first one-on-one interview program focused on China-Arab exchanges in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The program, "China-Arab 2030," provides a unique window for audiences in both countries through a series of interviews with outstanding leaders in various fields in the Arab world and China. As the "most beautiful cultural ambassador between China and the Arabic world," Zhang Li, with a strong network of contacts between China and Saudi Arabia, successively interviewed Dr. Abdulaziz Almuthem, Deputy Minister of the Saudi Media Ministry, the Minister of Culture, the Minister of Education, the CEO of the Saudi Tourism Authority, Professor Tarun Khanna from Harvard Business School, the CEO of the Saudi national camel milk brand Noug, and Dr. Hamad M. Al-hoshan, an economics professor at King Saud University.

In November 2023, the World Youth Development Forum officially announced that Zhang Li had taken on the role of leader of the Sino-Arab Youth Development Forum. Led by the All-China Youth Federation and Zhang Li's team, in collaboration with the Arab Countries League and the People's Government of Hainan Province within the framework of the China-Arab Cooperation Forum, the Sino-Arab Youth Development Forum and the Sino-Arab Young Leaders Exchange Camp were held in Hainan Province from November 29 to December 4, 2023. The theme was "Strengthening Sino-Arab youth partnership and promoting the construction of an open world economy".

On December 10, 2023, Zhang Li, serving as a corporate representative of alumni at Peking University, hosted a visiting delegation from the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Education. She shared her experiences in Saudi Arabia, stories of Saudi-Chinese culture, and prospects for cooperation in Chinese language education.

In late 2023, Zhang Li conducted a series of initiatives aimed at strengthening cultural and educational ties between China and Saudi Arabia. Her team participated in the FLL Summit Asia Future Investment Conference in Hong Kong, where they interviewed Jerny Gamez, CEO of vOV Gaming, focusing on the collaboration in the esports industry between China and Saudi Arabia. Further engagements included exclusive interviews at Harvard Business School on technology talent cultivation amidst cultural differences and discussions with Saudi Arabian education officials at the World Chinese Language Conference in Beijing.