Grand Opening of Shanghai Forum 2012

Hosted by Fudan University, with “Strategies for 2011-2020” as its theme, “Shanghai Forum 2012” is launched in Shanghai Xijiao State Guest Hotel this morning. Han Zheng, Mayor of Shanghai, attended the opening ceremony and delivered a speech.

Han Zheng pointed out that “Shanghai Forum” consistently concentrated on Asia from a world perspective and discussed major issues in the economic and social development of Asia. Nowadays with the acceleration of the transformation of world economic structure and the formulation of new round of scientific and technological innovation and industry updating, this forum, with the theme “Strategies for 2011-2020”, is of great significance for the discussion of the strategies and future path of Asia.

Han Zheng also pointed out that according to the nation’s strategic planning for Shanghai, it is to be established as a center of world economy, finance, trading and shipping and an international metropolis of socialist modernization by 2020. Shanghai will unswervingly stick to the path of scientific development, and focus on further innovation and transformation, and the deepening of reform and opening-up. Shanghai will attach more importance to building livable environment and guaranteeing and improving people’s livelihood for the purpose of making further contribution to the construction of a moderately prosperous society and the acceleration of modernization.

It is our sincere wish that through this high-level platform of “Shanghai Forum” for dialogue and communication, the insights and wisdom of every distinguished guest can be shared here.

The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Education Hao Ping, the President of Fudan University Yang Yuliang, the Chairman of the Board and CEO of Korean SK Group Tae-Won Chey were present at the forum and delivered their speeches respectively. The Chancellor of Fudan University Zhu Zhiwen chaired the opening ceremony.

In the opening ceremony, the Deputy Managing Director of International Monetary Fund Zhu Min, the Dean of Maxwell School of Syracuse University and former Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg, the Vice-Chair of Working Group III in IPCC and President of University of Venice Carlo Carraro, the Member of the Council of Advisors in Boao Forum for Asia and former Vice Minister and Chief Representative for Trade Negotiations of Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Long Yongtu, the Dean of School of Economics in Fudan University Yuan Zhigang delivered their keynote speeches respectively. This round of speeches is held by Park In-kook, the President of Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies.

The Forum will be held from May 26th to 28th in Shanghai. The theme of this Forum is “Strategies for 2011-2020”. The ten panels are titled as “International Trade, Investment and Governance with the Intensifying Economic Crisis”, "New Mission for International Monetary Governance: A Win-win Situation”, “Economic Development and Social Transformation: The Historical Experience of Social Transition in East Asia and China's Future Road of Development", "Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Sustainable Management", "Creating a new Regional Order in East Asia "," Legal cooperation in Asia for 2011-2020", "Asia's Population and Social Development for 2011-2020: New Challenge, New Strategy "," Asia's Urbanization and Urban Transition for 2011-2020 "," East Asian Ecological Construction Strategies for 2011-2020 " and "Low Carbonization, Security and Ever-increasing Demand: Restructuring of Asian Energy System". This year's forum also includes three high-level roundtables, namely, "Free Trade Area in the Global Economic Pattern Restructuring", "Renewable Energy: Enlightening the Asia Green Development Roadmap" and "Global Financial Governance and International Policy Coordination". During the three-day conferences and seminars, the extensive, multi-dimensional and in-depth discussions will be held among more than 400 representatives from over 30 countries and regions around the world. At the closing of the forum, a "Shanghai Forum Consensus" will be issued.

Compared with previous years, this year's forum pays more attention to the interactions among the academics, politicians, and enterprisers. The Forum sets up special high-level roundtables and invites the leaders of new energy automobile and finance together to discuss the future road of development. The Forum works out a policy proposal particularly for Shanghai’s social development, which manifests the forum’s ideal of “Root in Shanghai, Serve Shanghai”. In addition, the Forum also invites a group of young promising researchers both from China and foreign countries and young talents from different industrial departments of Shanghai, which makes the Forum a communicative and learning platform for young elites home and abroad.

Shanghai Forum is an international economic forum hosted by Fudan University and sponsored by Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies, Korea. This is the seventh annual conference and the former six attracted more than 1800 people from diverse communities from both China and overseas. Holding the tenet of “Concentrating on Asia, Focusing on Hot Issues, Congregating Elites, Promoting Interactions, Enhancing Cooperation and Seeking Consensus”, the Forum invites elites from different communities to communicate and cooperate, to discuss and analyze big issues of global economy and international situation, thus bringing solutions and proposals to the overall development of Asia’s economy, politics, society and culture.