THE AUTHOR
Robert S. Edwards
Robert S. Edwards is a Mandarin-speaking educator, China trade professional, and author of Pacific Covenant: A Journey Between Worlds. His memoir draws on more than four decades of teaching, trade, and friendship between America and China.
His journey began with the Duke Study in China program in 1983. In 1984, he taught English in Xuzhou. Years of international purchasing and trade followed, before a return to teaching in Tennessee.
Teaching, trade, and citizen diplomacy
A graduate of Rhodes College with an MBA from Tulane University, Edwards brings the perspectives of both educator and businessperson to U.S.–China relations. His work has included Mandarin instruction, international business, and community leadership in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Through cross-cultural friendship and citizen diplomacy, he has pursued a lasting conviction: trustworthy relationships between people can change lives and help shape relations between nations.
From Middle-earth to the Middle Kingdom
Long before he traveled to China, Edwards’s mother introduced him to Tolkien’s Middle-earth. Those imagined journeys offered an early invitation to look beyond familiar surroundings.
The connection has stayed with him. Frodo’s dependence on friendship, patience, and courage offers a way to reflect on a life spent learning across cultures. In the Middle Kingdom, the journey unfolded through classrooms, trade, language, and the generosity of people willing to share their world.
His return to teaching brought that experience to another generation. As his mother had opened a world through books, he hoped to open one for his students through language. That spirit of curiosity and fellowship runs through Pacific Covenant.
Follow Robert
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Contact Robert
For publishing inquiries, speaking engagements, interviews, or conversations about U.S.–China friendship, contact aidehua@gmail.com.
Book proposal and sample chapters available upon request.
