On the morning of October 18, the high-quality development conference marking the 70th Anniversary of the founding of Capital University of Economics and Business (CUEB) was held in grand style in the main campus gymnasium. Guests from all walks of life, alumni, faculty and students gathered to recall the 70-year journey of invigorating the country through education, and to jointly chart a new blueprint for CUEB’s high-quality development.

On October 16, ahead of the conference, Yin Li, Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, visited CUEB for research and guidance. He urged the university to take its 70th anniversary as a new starting point, step up efforts in cultivating financial and economic personnel, conducting policy and think tank research, and advancing industry-education integration, conduct thorough, systematic and in-depth professional research, and provide scientific and reliable decision-making support for the economic and social development of the capital. His earnest expectations greatly encouraged all faculty and students, inspiring every member of CUEB to forge ahead with vigor and dedication from this new starting point to demonstrate new responsibility and make new contributions in serving the capital’s development of in the new era.

The conference was attended by Yu Yingjie, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and Secretary of the Beijing Municipal Committee’s Education Working Committee; Shang Fulin, Member of the Standing Committee of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Director of its Committee for Economic Affairs, and former Chairman of the China Banking Regulatory Commission; Shen Baochang and Xiong Daxin, former Vice Chairmen of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the CPPCC; Tang Tao, President of the China Society of Labour, former member of the Party Leadership Group and former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security of the People’s Republic of China; Ciarán Ó Catháin, President of Bahrain Polytechnic; Li Junfeng, Deputy Secretary in Charge of Routine Work of the Education Working Committee at the Beijing Municipal Party Committee; Dong Zhiyong, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Peking University Committee, Vice President and Superintendent of General Affairs of Peking University; Yu Bo, Secretary of the Fengtai District Party Committee of Beijing; Yuan Lunqu, former Counsellor of the State Council; Yang Kaizhong, Member of the Academic Divisions of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and academician of the International Eurasian Academy of Sciences; Chen Yanbin, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Director of the Institute of Industrial Economics, CASS; Liu Junchang, Secretary of the Party Committee and Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Labour and Social Security; Piao Xuedong, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director of the Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau; Mao Xiaogang, Secretary of the Party Committee and President of The Beijing News; Zhou Tongwei, Deputy Secretary of the Fengtai District Party Committee, Deputy District Head and Acting District Head of Beijing. Also present were the leading officials of relevant central and Beijing municipal departments, leading officials of some brother universities at home and abroad, representatives of enterprises, public institutions and the media, former leaders of the university, and representatives of alumni, faculty and students. Zhang Xiufeng, Deputy Party Secretary of CUEB, presided over the conference.

The conference opened with a welcome speech delivered by “Intelligent Little Camel No. 1”, a robot independently developed by CUEB faculty and students.

At 9:00 a.m., the conference officially began with the national anthem.

On behalf of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and the Beijing Municipal People’s Government, Yu Yingjie, extended warm congratulations on the conference. He noted that over the past 70 years, CUEB has stayed true to its original aspiration and mission of cultivating qualified people for the Party and the country. Built on its distinctive strength in economics and management disciplines, it has cultivated pillars of society with fruitful results, making important contributions to major national strategies and the economic and social development of the capital. He said that Secretary Yin Li’s visit set new requirements for building a high-level research university and expressed the hope that the university will seize opportunities, fully implement the Plan for Education Reform and Development of Beijing during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, and take the lead in building Beijing into a leading district for education. Noting that Beijing is accelerating this effort and advancing classified and excellent development of universities, he put forward three expectations: to stay true to the original aspiration and mission and demonstrate new achievements in strengthening the leading role of Party building; to strive and struggle with determination and make new accomplishments in promoting the integrated development of education, science and technology and talent; and to brave difficulties and surmount challenges to show new responsibility in serving national strategies and the development of the capital. The Municipal Party Committee and the Municipal Government will, as always, support the university’s development, and steadily advance it toward the goal of becoming a first-class university of finance and economics with capital standards, Chinese characteristics and international renown.

Liu Ying, Party Secretary of CUEB, delivered a report on the university’s development titled “Seventy Years of Glory: Passing the Torch, Writing a Splendid New Chapter for the Future”. She offered a comprehensive review of the university’s 70-year journey to advance national rejuvenation through education, and systematically summarized its historical heritage and experience in running the university. She noted that, since its founding, CUEB has carried the revolutionary legacy, rooted in its working-class origins and endowed with strength in finance and economics. Born to meet the needs of national construction, it advanced along the reform and opening-up and grew in step with the nation’s socialist modernization. Generations of CUEBers have blazed a trail through hardship with perseverance, giving shape to the university motto: “Advocating Morality, Valuing Competence, Strategizing National Development, and Serving the People”. The university has consistently upheld the Party’s overall leadership and fulfilled the fundamental task of fostering virtue through education. It stays committed to integrity and innovation, pursues excellence and responses to the needs of national strategies. Rooted in the capital, it serves the overall development and builds its strength on the soil of Beijing; it also maintains an international vision and an open approach to education, advancing exchanges and cooperation with concrete actions. Embarking on a new journey, the university will follow Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to forge shared aspirations. It will fully strive to build a new highland for the research and interpretation of Xi Jinping Thought on the Economy, cultivate outstanding personnel in philosophy and social sciences, spare no effort to develop first-class disciplines, promote interdisciplinary integration and innovation in research paradigms, advance open education in an all-round way, and build the Hongmiao International Campus to high standards. In doing so, CUEB will contribute its wisdom and strength to Beijing’s leading efforts to basically realize socialist modernization, and to the great cause of building a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation.

In his speech, Zhou Tongwei, Deputy Secretary of the Fengtai District Party Committee, Deputy District Head and Acting District Head of Beijing, remarked that since its founding, CUEB has kept close to the development needs of the country and the capital, built advantageous disciplines such as Applied Economics and Finance, and provided solid personnel and intellectual support for the high-quality development of the capital. For years, Fengtai District and the university have achieved fruitful outcomes in Party-building integration, think tank decision-making consultation, student internship and practice, and the joint development of a “college-style neighborhood”, creating a Fengtai model for universities engaging in grassroots governance. Standing at a new starting point for the university’s development, Fengtai District is willing to be a steadfast partner, fully supportpilot application of the university’s innovative achievements, deepen joint personnel cultivation, assist students in employment and entrepreneurship, and ensure a livable and study-friendly environment for faculty and students. He expected CUEB to carry forward the spirit embodied in its motto and demonstrate even greater achievements on the new journey.

Dong Zhiyong, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Peking University Committee, Vice President and Vice-President and Chief of General Affairs of Peking University, delivered a speech on behalf of Peking University and fellow institutions. He noted that over the past 70 years, CUEB has adhered to the socialist orientation in developing the university, fulfilled the fundamental task of fostering virtue through education, kept abreast of the times, focused on the development of the intelligent economy and future industries, explored new paradigms for discipline development, scientific research and personnel cultivation, and brough forth a number of substantial and influential outcomes. Peking University and CUEB share a common cultural lineage and close academic ties, nurturing a profound friendship through years of academic collaboration. Peking University is willing to join CUEB and other fellow institutions in seizing the opportunities of the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, promoting the integrated development of education, science and technology and talent, jointly building a highland of high-caliber personnel, and making new and greater contributions to building a strong country in education and to supporting and serving Chinese modernization.

Professor Ciarán Ó Catháin, President of Bahrain Polytechnic, delivered a speech on behalf of the university’s international partner institutions. He reviewed the remarkable achievements of CUEB over its 70 years of development and commended the university for its solid efforts to keep pace with digital transformation and artificial intelligence development, steadily deepen educational innovation and actively expand cross-border inter-university cooperation. He expressed the hope that the two universities will yield even more fruitful outcomes in faculty-student exchanges and academic cooperation in the future.

With seven decades of history, CUEB gathers talents from all over the world. The conference screened two video tributes:one from overseas partner universities and another featuring alumni passing the symbolic flag, vividly showcasing CUEB’s fruitful achievements in advancing open education in an all-round way and the deep bond shared by alumni at home and abroad.

Mo Rong, an outstanding alumnus of the Class of 1986 majoring in Labor Economics, Member of the National Committee of the CPPCC, Chief Expert of a high-end think tank, President of the China Association of Employment Promotion, and former President of the Chinese Academy of Labour and Social Security, extended sincere blessings to his alma mater on behalf of all alumni. He fondly recalled his studies at the university and expressed gratitude for the nurturing and cultivation here. He shared stories of alumni who, imbued with a patriotic commitment to serving the country and the people, have made achievements across diverse sectors. He encouraged young students to uphold the spirit embodied in the university motto and shoulder the mission of the times, and wished the university to assume new responsibilities and write a splendid new chapter amid Beijing’s pursuit of high-quality development.

Teachers are as light, and the torch of spirit is passed on. During the tribute-to-teachers segment of the conference, student representatives presented flowers to their teachers, paying high tribute to all educators who dedicate themselves to education.

Zhou Kaiguo, Dean of the School of Finance, spoke on behalf of the faculty. He said that university teachers should integrate fostering virtue through education into every stage of teaching and education, uphold the mission of strengthening roots and forging souls, enlightening wisdom and nourishing hearts, and serve as guides for the growth and success of young students. They should seize opportunities from AI-driven shifts in research paradigms, integrate their personal growth into the great cause of national rejuvenation, strive to be participants, promoters and contributors of the university’s high-quality development, so as to fulfill their educational mission worthy of the times.

Yang Yumiao, an undergraduate student of the Class of 2023 from the School of Culture and Communication, spoke on behalf of the students. She shared her growth journey of practicing the university motto spirit through actions. Expressing gratitude for the university’s support and the careful cultivation of her teachers, she said that she will carry forward the university’s spiritual torch, shoulder the important tasks of the times, integrate her youthful endeavors into the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation, and strive to grow into a new youth capable of undertaking the important task of national rejuvenation.

The conference held an unveiling ceremony for the Institute of Intelligent Economy, the Institute of Digital Economy and the Institute of Future Business. Keeping abreast of the requirements of the new era for developing new quality productive forces, the university has made forward-looking arrangements for emerging interdisciplinary disciplines. As a cross-disciplinary platform, the Institute of Intelligent Economy focuses on tackling major practical challenges such as megacity governance, fintech, population and labor employment, and greensustainable development, contributing CUEB’s wisdom and solutions to the construction of Beijing as an international center for scientific and technological innovation and a benchmark city for the global digital economy. The establishment of the three new platforms marks the university’s continued efforts to promote interdisciplinary integration, reshape traditional research paradigms and personnel cultivation models, and strive to seize the new track in financial and economic education.

Yang Kaizhong, Member of the Academic Divisions of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and academician of the International Eurasian Academy of Sciences, together with Wu Weixing, Deputy Party Secretary and President of the University of International Business and Economics, jointly unveiled the Institute of Intelligent Economy.

Chen Yanbin, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Director of the Institute of Industrial Economics, CASS, together with Yin Zhichao, Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Vice President of CUEB, jointly unveiled the School of Digital Economy. Wang Yonggui, Deputy Party Secretary and President of Zhejiang Gongshang University, together with Li Kunpeng, Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Vice President of CUEB, jointly unveiled the Institute of Future Business.

The conference held the launching ceremony for industry-university-research cooperation and co-construction projects, continuously deepening the integration of industry and education and the convergence of science and education, and pooling the strength of all sectors of society to empower the university’s high-quality development. Participants in the joint launch were as follows:Dai Wei, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and President of the Bank of Beijing Co., Ltd.; Tian Hui, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and President of Beijing Rural Commercial Bank Co., Ltd.; Wang Naixiang, Chairman of Beijing Green Exchange Co., Ltd.; Luan Mingyue, General Manager of Beijing International Big Data Exchange Co., Ltd.; Li Bo, Senior Vice President of JD.com and President of the FinTech Business Group of JD Technology; Li Qiang, Vice President of Zhaopin Group; Zhu Peng, General Manager of the Beijing Branch of iFLYTEK Co., Ltd.; together with Yang Kui and Yao Linxiu, members of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Vice Presidents of CUEB.

The conference screened the university’s 70th-anniversary publicity film “Serving the World: Our Commitment”. During the warm-up segment, alumni representatives and representatives of faculty and students took the stage together to sing songs including “The Story of Time” and “CUEB Home Ground”, reliving their youthful memories and sharing fond ties with their alma mater.

The conference drew to a successful close with all participants singing “Ode to the Motherland”.