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Robert Lawrence Kuhn

For Robert Lawrence Kuhn, Closer To Truth is a lifelong passion. With a doctorate in brain science and the author or editor of more than 30 books, Dr. Kuhn is a public intellectual who speaks and writes frequently. His article "Science as Democratizer," featured in American Scientist magazine, argues how the scientific way of thinking can influence global society; and "Why This Universe: A Taxonomy of Possible Explanations," featured in Skeptic Magazine, presents a universally exhaustive set of "ultimate reality generators."

Dr. Robert L. Kuhn's books include Closer To Truth: Challenging Current Belief; Closer To Truth: Science, Meaning and the Future; Dealmaker; Dow-Jones Irwin’s The Library of Investment Banking (seven-volumes, 5,500-page); Handbook for Creative and Innovative Managers; Frontiers in Creative and Innovative Management; New Directions in Creative and Innovative Management; The Firm Bond: Linking Mission and Meaning in Business and Religion (with George Geis), Made In China: Voices From the New Revolution; and China’s Banking and Financial Markets: The Internal Research Report of the Chinese Government (with Li Yang). Five of his books are translated into Chinese, including two editions of Closer To Truth. His article "Does God Exist?", based on critical thinking, appeared in prominent publications in China

Dr. Robert Kuhn is an international corporate strategist, investment banker and expert on China. Since 1989, he has worked with China’s senior leaders and advised the Chinese government on economic policy, industrial policy, mergers and acquisitions, science and technology, media and culture, Sino-U.S. relations, and a variety of international business matters. Dr. Kuhn advises multinational companies on formulating and implementing China strategies in a variety of sectors, including science and technology, energy and resources, industrial, media and entertainment, healthcare / medical / pharmaceuticals, consumer products, and financial services. He works with major Chinese companies on structuring their capital markets financing and M&A activities.  Dr. Kuhn has visited more than 20 provinces and 50 cities in China working with leaders in government and business. 

Dr. Kuhn was profiled in Barron’s (June 21, 2010) and was one of only two Americans selected, along with Dr. Henry Kissinger, as “China Visionaries” in the ten-episode series produced by Shanghai Television (SMG). Dr. Kuhn is a senior advisor to China Central Television (CCTV) and Xinhua News Agency. He appears regularly as senior international commentator on CCTV News, which is broadcast worldwide and throughout China, and as the senior China commentator on Euronews, the largest television news network in Europe. He created and hosted the official CCTV six-part television series on Expo 2010 Shanghai and Shanghai’s future. He is a featured contributor to China Daily and was profiled by CCTV’s “Focus Talk.” He writes for Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Forbes and Chief Executive magazine, and is a frequent commentator on China for CNBC, Bloomberg, BBC World Service, CCTV and others.

Dr. Kuhn advises and works with China senior leaders on special projects. He is the author of The Man Who Changed China: The Life and Legacy of Jiang Zemin, the first biography of a living Chinese leader ever published in China and China’s best-selling book of 2005.  He is the author of How China’s Leaders Think (2009; second edition, 2011) featuring President Hu Jintao and China’s next generation of leaders, including Vice President Xi Jinping (who is slated to become General Secretary of the CPC and President of China in 2012-2013). Dr. Kuhn advised then Zhejiang Party Secretary Xi Jinping on his U.S. visit (2006). He wrote exclusive articles with Politburo Member Li Yuanchao on China’s political reform and with Politburo Member Wang Yang on transforming Guangdong Province. 

Dr. 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 (which he sold to Citigroup in 2000). Under his leadership, more than 1,400 M&A transactions were completed, and more than 10,000 company evaluations were conducted.

Dr. Kuhn was the creator and executive producer of the first documentary series, co-produced with China Central Television (CCTV), on China's economic reform produced for both Chinese and American audiences. The eight-part Capital Wave was broadcast nationwide in China on CCTV in 1999. In Search of China, a ninety-minute special, was broadcast in the U.S. on PBS in 2000. (The Washington Post awarded In Search of China its "Pick of the Week.") Dr. Kuhn was executive producer of Khachaturian, which was awarded Best Documentary at the Hollywood Film Festival in 2003.

Dr. Robert Kuhn is chairman of The Kuhn Foundation, which he founded and funded to disseminate new knowledge and understanding in science and philosophy through Closer To Truth, support cultural endeavors, and promote good relations between America and China. The current production of Closer To Truth, which Dr. Kuhn created, writes and hosts, consists of over 115 episodes for television broadcast and over 1300 web videos. Closer To Truth is structured in three series: Cosmos (cosmology, fundamental physics, philosophy of cosmology and physics, emergence, science and religion), Consciousness (brain, mind, free will, personal identity, alien intelligence, parapsychology), and God (philosophy of religion, philosophical theology, critical thinking). Featured are over 125 of the world's leading scientists, philosophers, theologians and thinkers.

Dr. Kuhn received a A.B. (Phi Beta Kappa) in Human Biology from Johns Hopkins University, a master of science in management from the MIT Sloan School of Management, and a PhD in Anatomy / Brain Research from UCLA. 

Articles

Why This Universe: Toward a Taxonomy of Possible Explanations
Skeptic: Volume 13, Number 2, 2007. All possible ways, manners and reasons the universe might exist -- outlined, organized, described and referenced in four sections: One Universe Models; Multiple Universe Models; Nonphysical Causes; Illusions.

Cosmos, Consciousness, God
Chief Executive: June 2008. How the Big Questions of existence can affect business. Public fascination with cosmos, consciousness and God is growing, and top management should know what is happening.

Science as Democratizer
American Scientist: Volume 91, September-October 2003. How science and critical thinking can engender democracy around the world. An argument for how science can strengthen democracy and promote public participation in the political process.