Dean of the SMU School of Social Sciences, Professor of Political Science James Tang, pointed out that the US is in no danger of being removed as a superpower anytime soon, and that China has risen in a remarkably peaceful way. Moreover, there are broader international forces at work like environmental and public health issues that China and the US, along with other countries, have to deal with together. Looking ahead, Prof Tang said that he is continuing to bring experiences in solving real-life issues and practical policy problems to SMU political science students, instead of simply focusing on classroom work. For example, students participating in a joint class between SMU and the University of Southern California (USC) last year worked together on a report on US relations with East Asia by doing policy research and talking to experts in the field.