Tao YUE, M.A.

Managing Director and Founder

Yue Tao founded China Cultural Consultancy (CCC) in 2006. Born in Shanghai (1976), she has lived in the Netherlands since 2000. She took her B.A. in English language and literature at Fudan University (1998) and M.A. in social sciences (cum laude) at the University of Amsterdam (2002).

Her M.A. thesis, "Metaphysical Risk Management in Post-Maoist China," describes and explains the revival of folk philosophy and its influence on Chinese decision making. A licensed trainer in intercultural competence, she has worked as a journalist with Bridge News and Agence France Presse in Shanghai, and as the China specialist at Leiden University International Office.

Since 2005 she has collaborated with Intercultural Business Improvement (IBI) on its China programs and gives presentations to Western business, government, and academic audiences. She is a regular contributor to Overseas Chinese, World News Journal, and the International Institute for Asian Studies Newsletter, hosts weekly live broadcasts at Chinese Radio Amsterdam, and organized part of Amsterdam China Festival 2005.

Ursula Brinkmann, Ph.D.

Associate

Ursula runs the Intercultural Business Improvement (IBI). For over a decade, she has delivered training for international companies including Siemens, Casema, Fortis, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Stream International Europe, and Valmont Industries. She also developed the Intercultural Readiness Check in collaboration with the University of Groningen.

Ursula has an M.A. in psychology from Heidelburg University and a Ph.D. in psycholinguistics from the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics.

Rod Aya, Ph.D.

Adviser

Rod is a social scientist at the University of Amsterdam. His articles and reviews appear in scholarly journals, edited volumes, and encyclopedias. A senior editor of an international sociology journal for over a decade, he also guest lectured at the Central Nationalities University in Beijing.

Rod has a B.A. in history from Northwestern University, an M.A. in comparative history from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and a Ph.D. in social sciences from the University of Amsterdam.

Network

CCC's network includes experts on Chinese law and business as well as consultants from the United States, England, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong.