Twenty-one members were elected to the first General Council of the association, including one director, one standing executive director/chief secretary, six associate directors and six deputy secretaries. Mr. Zhang Hongren, who was enrolled in CUEB in 1977 to study trade and economy and pursued his master degree four years later in 1981, became the first director of CUEB Alumni Association in Canada. Song Xiaomei, an insurance major enrolled in 1990, was appointed the first chief secretary/standing executive director. She was also the chair of the conference.

On behalf of the prep team, Zhang Hongren highlighted their efforts in contacting alumni, organizational arrangement and ceremony preparation in the run-up to the big day. The work in setting up the association mainly consists of four aspects--Charter formulation and revision,  general councile stablishment, alumni registry and the information collecting and making of contact booklets. The director-elect was grateful for the generous help by the alma mater and CUEB General Alumni Association in the preparatory process and for the hard work of all the members. 

The Charter and finance management regulations were passed during the Canadian conference.

Zhao Xiling, Vice-President and Secretary of CUEB General Alumni Association, shared some touching stories in building the Canadian branch, and introduced the members of the first General Council of CUEB Alumni Association in Canada. All the candidates were recommended by the General Association and its Canadian branch, and were approved by the attendees. Later the candidates running for the director, executive director, chief secretary and deputy secretary were presented and approved by the conference. This officially marked the establishment of the first General Council of CUEB Alumni Association in Canada.

In his speech, Yang Kaizhong said that the university thinks highly of the alumni association and sent the congratulations on the founding of the association on behalf of CUEB and its major leaders. He then gave a brief introduction of the university’s recent development, its vision, goals and advancing path. He stressed the significance of pooling the strength and wisdom of global alumni in developing CUEB as China’s top-notch university in economics and business. It is his wish that all the Canadian alumni can bear in mind CUEB’s motto, i.e. “Advocate morality, value competence, strategize national development, and serve the people”, and that they can contribute to the realization of the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation in the new era.

All the CUEB graduates present expressed their feelings afterwards. They take great pride in CUEB’s accomplishments and thank for the establishment of alumni association on foreign soil. They can feel their alma mater’s love sent across the ocean to this distant land. Besides their overwhelming joy in and expectation of the newly founded organization, they all agree that it takes more than enthusiasm to develop the association. Keeping in contact and regular events are also necessary. They hope that the integration of educational resources between CUEB and Canada can give CUEB a strong foothold in the world.

Alumni representatives from Toronto, Vancouver,Ottawa and Calgary joined in the meeting.

On October 24 local time, a lively conversation kindled the night during the visit by a delegation of CUEB Alumni Association to a dozen of alumni living in Vancouver.