In order to promote cultural and academic exchanges between China and abroad, Renmin University of China (RUC) held the first “Frontier and Innovation: International Conference for PhD Students” from July 30th to 31th.

Nearly 200 doctoral students from Renmin University of China, Peking University, Tsinghua University, Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Beijing Normal University, Zhejiang University, Harvard University, Oxford University, Yale University, University of Munich, National University of Singapore, and other more than 20 renowned colleges and universities gathered together to carry out academic seminars around the topics including “civilization exchanges and mutual understanding”, “global governance” and “the future of mankind”. 

Zhang Donggang, Chairman of the University Council (RUC), Hong Dayong, Director of the Department of Graduate Education, Wang Ming, Vice President of Beijing Normal University, and Du Peng, Vice president of RUC attended the opening ceremony. Wang Yi, Vice president of RUC, presided over the opening ceremony.

In his opening speech, Zhang Donggang affirmed the great significance of the conference for academic circles and its important role in cultural exchanges. He said that doctoral students should adhere to academic ideals, pay attention to major theoretical and practical problems, uphold a serious scientific attitude to discover and explore problems, and use scientific methods to solve and answer questions. At the same time, doctoral students are also promoters of cultural exchanges among different civilizations, who should promote the common values of mankind through academic research, and provide strong intellectual support for improving human’s well-being.

Hong Dayong said that at present, a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation are advancing rapidly. To face the emerging global challenges, the world needs talents, innovation and cooperation. Under this background, China and foriegn doctoral education should strengthen exchanges and innovate organizational forms and operating mechanisms, so as to shoulder responsibilities for building a global academic community, deepening exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, and promoting the common values of mankind.

Wang Ming congratulated on the success of the academic seminar. He pointed out that this international seminar has built a high-level, multidisciplinary and open academic platform, which could give full play to the role of doctoral students in academic research, actively creat a scientific research atmosphere, cultivate a scientific innovation culture, and effectively promoted the high-quality development of graduate education. Beijing Normal University will continue to have close exchanges and cooperation with Renmin University of China and other sister universities, accelerate the training of high-level talents, steadily build a world-class university system with Chinese characteristics.

Presiding over the opening ceremony, Wang Yi said that the conference aims to expand doctoral students’ global research vision and interdisciplinary research ability. Experts, scholars and doctoral students from home and abroad could gather together to share and exchange ideas on cutting-edge issues. It is expected that the majority of doctoral students will learn from each other and contribute their youth to meet global challenges and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Launching the Global Young Academic Initiative to build a closer academic community of doctoral students

Confronted with “What's wrong with the world?” “Where is the mankind going?” Zhou Ding, a doctoral student of RUC, launched the “Global Youth Academic Initiative” on behalf of the participating doctoral students, advocating that doctoral students from universities and colleges of various countries should make contributions to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind and the construction of a better world by the following steps:

First, bear in mind the common future of mankind, shoulder the historical mission of the young people of today, and work together to meet global challenges;

Second, take an active part in global exchanges and dialogues, promote the collision of ideas among young people of different countries, and form a youth force for exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations.

Third, grasp the development chance of the time, explore the frontiers of innovation in various disciplines, and promote the deep cross-integration of disciplines;

Fourth, promote international scientific research cooperation among doctoral students, gather academic forces, and pave new paths for international academic exchanges.

Then, professors and some excellent doctoral students gave keynote speeches. 

Professor Liu Jianjun from RUC delivered a speech entitled “The Creation of a New Form of Human Civilization and its significance in the world”, which expanded the research vision for young students. 

Professor Wu Shubin from the University of Liverpool delivered a speech entitled “Digital Transformation and the Application of Real Option Theory”.

Eight PhD students, including Bridget Brasher from Princeton University, Anna George from Oxford University, David Goyeneche from University of Queensland, Yi R. Fung from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Lin Shiyun from Peking University, Zhao Guojie, Guo Lipeng and Feng Haoming from RUC, made keynote speeches on the mutual learning of human civilizations, scientific and technological revolution, cross-cultural exchanges and other aspects. Peng Lei, associate professor of the School of Arts, and Hu Di, assistant professor of Gaoling School of Artificial Intelligence, made comments and exchanged their opinions with the students.

The first "Frontier and Innovation: International Conference for PhD Students" consists of 7 parallel sub-forums, which are convened by the School of Philosophy, School of Finance, School of Law, School of Journalism, School of Business, School of Statistics, and Gaoling School of Artificial Intelligence of RUC.