Shanghai Forum 2013 Grand Opening

The Opening Ceremony of the Shanghai Forum 2013, one of China’s top international academic annual forums, was held on May 25 at the Shanghai International Convention Center. Focusing this year on the topic of Asia’s Wisdom: Seeking Harmonious Development in Diversity, the annual Forum has this time round brought together more than 500 prominent people with interests rooted in politics, business and academic pursuits. These esteemed guests come together to contribute their knowledge and suggestions to the economic and social development of not only Shanghai, but also China, Asia as a whole, and other nations all over the world. Their voices come together as a unified force in Asia, aspiring to implement a pluralistic vision in the hope of developing a more harmonious Asian society that can serve as a model for the development of other economies and societies around the world.

Weng Tiehui, Vice Mayor of Shanghai, attended the opening ceremony and welcomed the honorable guests on behalf of the Shanghai Municipal Government, wishing Shanghai Forum2013 afull success.

Yang Yuliang, President of Fudan University, attended the ceremony and delivered a speech. Mr. Park In-kook, President of Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies, made his speech on behalf of Mr. Tae-Won Chey, Chairman of the Board & CEO, SK Group. Zhu Zhiwen, Chancellor of Fudan Univeristy, presided over the opening ceremony on the day.

At the opening ceremony, five figures of international fame - Robert Zoellick (former President of the World Bank Group, Senior Fellow at the Belfer Center at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government and at the Peterson Institute for International Economics), Fang Xinghai (Director of Shanghai Municipal Office of Financial Services), Michael Merson (Director, Duke Global Health Institute and Vice President of Duke University), Robert Mundell (1999 Nobel Laureate in Economics, Professor of Economics at Columbia University) and Fan Yongming (Dean of Department of International Politics at Fudan University and Director of the Fudan Center for BRICS Studies) – delivered keynote speeches. They expounded from the point of view of their respective areas of research, touching on trends and development in the world economy, opportunities and challenges facing human society in the face of global public health problems, the rise of the BRICS nations and new patterns in global politics and the global economy, etc, all of which the whole audience spoke highly. President Park In-kook hosted the section of keynote speeches.

The Shanghai Forum 2013 will be held inShanghaifrom May 25 to 27. The Forum this year comprises 10 sub-forums that with the following key themes: After the Asian Miracle: Problems, Challenges and Choices; How Does the World Economy Recover without Safe Assets?; The Integration of the Asian Regional Economy: Target, Path and Policy; Asia's Wisdom: Approaches to Disputes; Asian Legal Wisdom:  Diversity and Unification; Global Governance and Asia's Wisdom; Innovation-driven Urban Development in Asia; How to Assure Health for 4 Billion People in Asia?; Emerging Asian Renewable Energy: From New Technology and New Industry to a New Market; Climate Change and Environmental Protection: The Focus of Human Attention.

In addition, as one of the highlights in this annual forum, top Roundtables in Shanghai Forum this year continue to concentrate on a series of pioneering, challenging and debating topics. Across the 4 top Roundtables - Global Safe Assets Deficiency: A Puzzle to be Revealed; Think Tanks Dialogue: New Global Opportunities, New Leadership, Renewed Responsibility, New Policy?; Sustainable Public-Private Partnership: New Opportunities and Challenges of Public Governance in Asia; Fudan University China Financiers Club Roundtable– representatives will discuss the above topics deeply and heatedly from their personal research and experience.As explained, during the 3-day conference, over 500 representatives from more than 30 countries and regions will discuss numerous hot issues concerning Asian and global cooperative development broadly, profoundly and from a multidimensional perspective. Shanghai Forum 2013 will announce an annual Shanghai Forum Consensuson 27th when the proceedings come to a conclusion.

Shanghai Forum is an international economic forum hosted by Fudan University and sponsored by the Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies. As a communication platform for academic, political and commercial communities, Shanghai Forum has been held for seven years consecutively. The Forum invites leaders and experts from all fields to discuss and provide insights and suggestions forAsia’s overall economic, political, social and cultural progress. Under the general theme of “Economic Globalization and the Choice of Asia”, the Forum's mission is to “Concentrate onAsia, Focus on Hot Issues, Congregate Elites, Promote Interactions, Enhance Cooperation and Seek Consensus”.