Dr. Robert Gustafson is a Professor in the Department of Cinema and Television Arts, and was a member of China Institute Executive Committee. He has hosted scores of visiting scholars, students, and official visitors from China, in particular bringing them to major film studios and television shows, including The Tonight Show in 2012, when the special guest was President Obama. He has also arranged for leading Chinese media professionals to interact with students, faculty, and administrators at CSUN. He has traveled to China multiple times to serve as a keynote speaker and judge for international film festivals, a conference presenter, and a guest lecturer on over 40 occasions in different Chinese universities and TV enterprises, with topics on the current and future developments in US-China film/television/new media.
In 2010, Dr. Gustafson wrote and directed “Meet Me at the Expo” for CSUN and Shanghai Normal University students, who were invited to perform at the American Pavilion of the Shanghai World Expo by Secretary of State Hilary Clinton. Most recently, while in Shanghai and Nanjing, Gustafson presented multiple lectures on “The Impact of the Disneyland Shanghai on Film Production in China,” and held formal meetings with Shanghai University educators and administrators on cooperative education and joint supervision regarding courses at SHU and CSUN. He also presented his insights regarding the construction of China Movie World and the influence of Disneyland Shanghai during the U.S.-China Film & Television Industry Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Dr. Gustafson’s continuous research on Chinese film/television/ digital media has been supported by various grants from the college, China Institute, the university, and Shanghai Media Group. In addition to research and teaching, Dr. Gustafson has provided indispensable services to the China Institute by serving as a most valuable liaison between the Chinese visiting scholars, students, and the Hollywood creative community.