On December 4^th and 5^th, the 8^th forum on urban internationalization was held in Beijing. The forum was co-initiated by CUEB, Beijing Federation of Social Science Circles (BFSSC), China Research Society of Urban Development (CRSUD), National Colleges International Politics Research and Asia Pacific City Development Research (APCDR) and co-organized by CUEB, Academic of Macroeconomic Research, NDRC and China Academy of Space Technology (CAST).

The forum consisted of three sessions, in which six scholars gave keynote speeches. Researcher Jie Shujiang, chief editor of China City, chaired the first session. Experts including Ye Yaoxian, chief engineer and consultant of China Architecture Design ＆Research Group and Zuo Xuejin, former executive vice president of Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences delivered keynote speeches on “The Drive Force of Urbanization and the Development of Metropolis” and “ The Construction of Innovative, Green and Shared Metropolis from the Perspective of Urban Space” respectively. In the second session chaired by Li Zhanjun, speakers including Researcher Chen Yao of Institute of Industrial Economics of CASS and Professor Cheryl Wachenheim of North Dakota State University (NDSU) made keynote speeches on American governance structure in rural and urban areas. Researcher Qiao Weibing, deputy editor in-chief of China Citic Press, chaired the third session. Han Zhigang, vice president of Aerospace Metasynthetic Wisdom System Technological Development Center, elaborated on an overall vision of aerospace smart city. Duan Xia, executive deputy dean of Academy of Metropolis Economic and Social Development, CUEB extended her ideas on informal economy, sharing pattern and urban transformation. The interactions among the chairmen, lecturers and specialists were so lively and humorous, that the heated discussion lasted till 7:00 pm.

On October 5^th, the three research groups of URC conducted in-depth discussions respectively on space reshaping, technological reformation and “smart-city” construction, urban governance and institution innovation, as well as the emergence of regional collaboration and world-class city agglomeration. The members of the groups shared the latest research findings with other participants who made active responses, forming representative and comparatively consistent academic views. In the afternoon, representatives from the groups presented their discussions fruits, research processes and the next-year plans and listened to the advice from the specialists of the committee.