From November 5th to 10th, the Eighth China International Import Expo (CIIE) and the Hongqiao International Economic Forum were successfully held in Shanghai. From November 4th to 8th, team members from WTO Chair at UIBE, Associate Prof. Du Yingxin and Qin Ruobing and Coordinator Assistant Prof. Jian Gao led a study tour for five doctoral and postgraduate students, Zhu Xiaomei, Hou Bingxi, Chen Meihe, Li Hui, and Tian Jiaqi, to participate in sub-forums of the Eighth Hongqiao International Economic Forum and CIIE Shanghai Events and Conferences.

Participating in Sub-forums of the Eighth Hongqiao Economic Forum

On November 5th and 6th, delegation participated in sub-forums of the Eighth Hongqiao Economic Forum at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). The World Openness Report 2025 Release and International Seminar held on the afternoon of November 5th released the report and the latest World Openness Index. Participants shared insights on promoting theories, policies, and practices of global openness, contributing ideas for an open world economy. At the sub-forum on Restructuring of Global Trade and WTO Reform held on the same afternoon, experts discussed the impacts of trade turbulence, opportunities and challenges of restructuring, and WTO reform, emphasizing the stabilizing and safeguarding role of the multilateral trading system and expressing expectations for China's steady expansion of institutional opening-up. The World Trade Report 2025 Seminar and Chinese Version Launch, held on the morning of November 6th and themed Making Trade and AI Work for All, predicted that AI would drive nearly 40% growth in global trade in services and 12% to 13% economic growth by 2040. Based on the prediction, it called for strengthened international cooperation in the governance and development of AI globally, to better benefit human society. The sub-forum Promoting Green Trade Liberalization and Accelerating Global Green Transformation held on the same afternoon focused on Breaking Barriers, Establishing Standards and Empowering Action, concentrating on the global trend towards green and sustainable development. It called for global opposition to green protectionism and the construction of a collaborative and fair new global governance framework to facilitate the free flow of green trade.

This study tour in the Hongqiao Economic Forum sub-forums, organized by WTO Chair at UIBE and involving current doctoral and postgraduate students, deeply aligns with our curriculum development system and talent training objectives. It provides a real platform for the educational model combining theory and practice within an international perspective, fully demonstrating the core advantages of the WTO Chair at UIBE in leveraging resources in research, curriculum development and outreach to cultivate high-end economic and trade talents.

In-person meeting with International Experts and Organizations

During the breaks in the Hongqiao Economic Forum, delegation actively engaged with international organizations and experts, introducing the institute's latest research progress and views on the evolving trends of the current international economic situation. At noon on November 6th, our faculty and students visited the thematic booths set up by multiple international organizations, including the World Trade Organization (WTO), and toured several core exhibition halls for consumer goods, agricultural products, and large-scale machinery and equipment, etc. The on-site exchanges and immersive exhibition viewing further broadened students’ international horizons and deepened their understanding of global economic and trade development dynamics. During breaks between sub-forums, the delegation engaged in in-depth exchanges with international experts, including Research Economist Michael Blanga-Gubbay from the WTO Economic Research and Statistics Division and Professor Bernard Hoekman from European University Institute.

Presenting Research Findings on Green Trade

On November 8th morning, the conference themed on Green Trade Transformation: New Drivers for China's Foreign Trade was successfully held in Shanghai. The conference was hosted by the School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University, which was an important part of the 2025 CIIE Shanghai Events and Conference. The team member of WTO Chair at UIBE, Associate Prof. Qin Ruobing, along with other experts, Prof. Luo Changyuan from the School of Economics, Fudan University, Prof. He Huanlang, Dean of the School of International Trade and Economics, Shanghai University of International Business and Economics, and Prof. Li Chunding, Vice Dean of the College of Economics and Management at China Agricultural University, were invited to conduct in-depth discussions on the opportunities, challenges, and pathways of green trade transformation, jointly exploring new drivers for the high-quality development of China's foreign trade. Associate Prof. Qin Ruobing reported her research findings regarding Actively Responding to the Trend of Trade Greening.

During the conferences and events of CIIE, Associate Prof. Qin Ruobing participated in the academic discussions, while Associate Prof. Du Yingxin, Assistant Prof. Gao Jian and doctoral and postgraduate students actively engaged in outreach. Leading students to participate in this series of high-level academic forums during the CIIE not only serves as a good reflection of our institute's active engagement in academic exchange and international talent cultivation as a WTO Chair, but also provides valuable insights and practical references for scientifically planning the high-quality development path of our institute for the next 5 years.