Robert Lawrence Kuhn

Education

Kuhn received a bachelor's degree in human biology from Johns Hopkins University (Phi Beta Kappa) in 1964, a PhD in anatomy / brain research from the University of California at Los Angeles' Brain Research Institute in 1968 and a master of science in management as a Sloan fellow from the MIT Sloan School of Management in 1980.

Early career

Kuhn first came to prominence in 1972 when "Why the Vast Difference between Animal Brain and Human Mind?" appeared in The Plain Truth magazine published by Ambassador College, an institution of the Worldwide Church of God (WCG). The WCG's Systematic Theology Project was coordinated by Kuhn, but later banned by WCG Founder Herbert W. Armstrong. Kuhn severed his connection to the WCG and its affiliates, including the Ambassador International Cultural Foundation (classical music concerts, featuring musicians including Vladimir Horowitz and Luciano Pavarotti), which Kuhn had created and managed.

During the 1980s, Kuhn represented American and Japanese companies in M&A.

China

Kuhn provided the live commentary on CNN during President Xi Jinping's policy address in Seattle on September 2, 2015 during Xi's state visit to the US. Kuhn spoke at the launch ceremony of Xi's book, entitled Xi Jinping: The Governance of China at the Frankfurt Book Fair on October 8, 2014.

Kuhn writes on Xi's Four Comprehensives political theory of governance, and on understanding the Communist Party of China (CPC).

For the 18th CPC National Congress in Nov. 2012, Kuhn provided commentary for the BBC, CNN, New York Times, Washington Post, Bloomberg, CNBC, AP, Reuters, Euronews, etc. He was the featured foreign commentator daily on China Central Television (CCTV News). His essays introduced China's new leaders and China's new government and offered personal insights into China's new leaders, the seven members of the new Standing Committee of the Politburo and "New challenges for new leaders". It also presents the multiple problems that China's new government must address. Since 1989, when he was invited to China by the State Science and Technology Commission (under Song Jian), Kuhn has worked with China's senior leaders and advised the Chinese government on international, policy and business matters.

Kuhn is the author of How China’s Leaders Think: The Inside Story of China's Past, Current and Future Leaders, featuring exclusive discussions with more than 100 Chinese leaders and officials and introducing China's next generation of senior leaders.

He wrote The Man Who Changed China: The Life and Legacy of Jiang Zemin. It was the first biography of a living Chinese leader and was a best-seller in China in 2005. Kuhn is co-editor-in-chief of China’s Banking & Financial Markets: The Internal Research Report of the Chinese Government.

Kuhn advises and works with China leaders on special projects. When then-Vice President Xi visited the US in February, 2012, Kuhn advised and gave commentaries and interviews. He advised Zhejiang Province for Zhejiang Party Secretary Xi's 2006 U.S. visit as well.

He is the host and co-producer of "Closer To China with R.L.Kuhn", a weekly series on CCTV News that tells the story of China through discussions with China’s thought leaders and decision makers in all sectors.

Kuhn is creator, writer and host of the five-part public television TV series China's Challenges, co-produced with Shanghai Media Group, which won first prize in China News Award and is presented by PBS SoCaL (2013). The series focuses on critical issues confronting China's leaders and government (social problems like healthcare, economic transformation and pollution, political reform and transparency, science and innovation, beliefs and values). China's Challenges II, focusing on the Chinese Dream, was broadcast on PBS stations in 2015 and won an Emmy (Los Angeles, 2016).

Business, finance, M&A

Kuhn advises multinational companies and executives on China strategies in a variety of sectors, including science and technology, information technology, energy and resources, industrial, media and entertainment, healthcare / medical / pharmaceuticals, consumer products, financial services. He works with major Chinese companies on capital markets and M&A activities. Kuhn is Senior Adviser to Ernst & Young (Office of the chairman).

Kuhn has more than 30 years of experience in M&A. He was president and co-owner of The Geneva Companies, the largest M&A firm in the US representing middle-market companies (sold to Citigroup in 2000). Under his leadership, more than 1,400 M&A transactions were completed and more than 10,000 corporate evaluations were conducted.

Media and publications

Kuhn is the author or editor of 25 books on business strategy/finance and science/philosophy, including Dow-Jones Irwin's seven-volume Library of Investment Banking. He is a frequent commentator on the BBC (BBC World News / BBC World Service), CNN, Bloomberg, others. Kuhn is a senior international commentator for political, economic, social and business matters on CCTV News. He has written for Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Forbes and Chief Executive. Kuhn is a regular columnist for China Daily and South China Morning Post on China politics/economics and international affairs.

He was profiled in Barron's. He is one of the China Visionaries in the TV series produced for China's 60th anniversary by Shanghai Media Group (one of two Americans, along with Henry Kissinger) and he was featured on CCTV Channel 1's Focus Talk. Kuhn created, wrote and presented a six-episode series on Expo 2010 Shanghai, broadcast on CCTV. For the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, Kuhn co-produced (with Shanghai Media Group), wrote and presented a five-episode TV series, China's Challenges, on China's key domestic issues and problems that China's new leaders face. Kuhn was selected by Oriental Outlook magazine (published by Xinhua News Agency) as one of the all-time top-ten influential supporters of China's ruling party/CPC (the only one living).

Kuhn has written many articles. "Science as Democratizer", featured in American Scientist magazine, argued how the scientific way of thinking can influence global society. His scientific / philosophical article "Why This Universe? Toward a Taxonomy of Possible Explanations" is published in Skeptic Magazine and "Levels of Nothing" in the Vol. 18.2 2013 issue.

Kuhn's multimedia essays are on Space.com and LiveScience.com: "Forget Space-Time: Information May Create the Cosmos", "The Illusion of Time: What's Real?", "Is Our Universe a Fake?", "The Singularity, Virtual Immortality and the Trouble with Consciousness".

Kuhn's latest book, edited with John Leslie, is The Mystery of Existence: Why is there Anything At All?

Other affiliations

Kuhn is chairman of the Kuhn Foundation, which disseminates understanding in science and philosophy, supports cultural endeavors and promotes good relations between America and China. The Foundation produces the Closer to Truth TV series. It also produced the documentary of his wife Dora Serviarian-Kuhn, Khachaturian, which won the Best Documentary award at the 2003 Hollywood Film Festival and (with China Central Television) In Search of China for PBS.

From 1991 to 2001, Kuhn was president and co-owner of the Geneva Companies, a mergers and acquisitions (M&A) firm representing privately owned, middle-market companies. In 2000 Kuhn sold the Geneva Companies to Citigroup.

Criticism

Several reviewers argue that Kuhn has obtained privileged access to China's leaders by refraining from critical comments, producing propaganda instead of serious works of non-fiction. A review in Foreign Affairs said it was actually better understood as an autobiography, presenting an image that China's leaders want the world to see. Additionally, it said the writing of the book was, beginning in 2001, overseen by a secret state propaganda team. The Asian Review of Books said that the first part of Kuhn's biography of Jiang was "close to hagiography". A review on the website of Forbes said his later book, How China’s Leaders Think: The Inside Story of China's Past, Current and Future Leaders, was equally reluctant to criticize Hu Jintao, the leader who followed Jiang. The reviewer writes: "Kuhn merely repeats what the Communist Party says about itself and accepts its words at face value, taking obsequiousness to new heights."

Closer To Truth

Closer to Truth is a continuing television series on PBS and public television stations, created, produced, written and hosted by Kuhn. The series premiered in 2000. The current series, Closer to Truth: Cosmos. Consciousness. God is now in its 17th season. See List of Closer to Truth episodes. Closer To Truth offers candid, in-depth conversations with leading scientists, philosophers, theologians and scholars, covering cosmology and physics (cause, size and nature of the universe or multiverse), brain/mind and consciousness and philosophy of religion and the search for meaning. The Closer To Truth website features >4,000 videos of conversations on Cosmos, Consciousness and Meaning.

Media and publications