On November 20, the 10th Asia Policy Forum themed Challenges and Governance in the Age of Digitalization was successfully at the Suzhou Campus of Renmin University of China (RUC). Zhang Donggang, Chair of the University Council, Nakano Satoshi, President of Hitotsubashi University, and Yamada Atsushi, Vice President of Hitotsubashi University, attended the forum. Zheng Xinye, Vice President of Renmin University of China, presided over the opening ceremony.

01

Opening Ceremony

On behalf of Renmin University of China, Zhang Donggang expressed his warm congratulations to the convening of the forum. Zhang pointed out that Hitotsubashi University is an important strategic partner of Renmin University of China. In October this year, the two universities just signed the Consensus between Renmin University of China and Hitotsubashi University on Deepening Strategic Partnership, and now two universities are ushering in the tenth year of cooperation in co-organizing the Asian Policy Forum. This forum not only bears witness to the fruitful results of the long-term cooperation between the two universities, but also opens a new era of cooperation between the two sides.

Zhang Donggang said that President Xi Jinping just addressed the opening ceremony of the 2023 World Internet Conference (WIC) Wuzhen Summit via video, in which he stressed that the Internet has increasingly become a new driving force for development, a new frontier for maintaining security, and a new platform for mutual learning of civilizations, and that the different countries needs to deepen exchanges and practical cooperation to jointly advance the building of a community with a shared future in cyberspace to a new stage. 

“Digitalization brings great opportunities and challenges, and has become an important engine for accelerating Chinese modernization. The report of the 20th CPC National Congress has made clear the government’s resolution in accelerating the construction of a cyber power and a digital China, emphasizing the necessity to promote the digitalization of education and build a society and country of learning where lifelong learning is pursued by all. The 10th Asia Policy Forum this year is centered on the digital era and digital transformation, and the theme is of great significance as it closely follows the current global development and meets the requirements of the times,” Zhang added.

Renmin University of China has become an important engine and power for the acceleration of Chinese modernization in building digital China and digital education, and actively promoting digital academics. In order to implement President Xi Jinping’s Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, and Global Culture Initiative, Zhang Donggang hoped that all the guests and scholars could jointly build a high-end platform for strategic dialogues, so that they can communicate and learn from each other, and form high-quality results, thus gathering wisdom and strength to respond to the changes of the world, the times, and the history with digital transformation.

To reach this end, he emphasized the following suggestions.

First, to create an academic window that highlights cutting-edge research.

We must remain sensitive to the academic frontiers and policy practices, tracking the hot issues of the society and be foresighted in our research, taking timely response to the changes of the world and the times, as well as the common concerns of the academic community and the real society, and strive to jointly carry out in-depth researches on some major theoretical and practical issues.

Second, to build an exchange platform for greater strategic cooperation.

Renmin University of China and Hitotsubashi University represent the strongest universities in humanities and social sciences in their respective countries, with significant advantages in economics, finance, law, sociology, public administration, international relations and other disciplines. Recently, Renmin University of China has established the School of Intelligent Governance and the Research Center for Humanities and Economics in its Suzhou Campus, a move aiming to have holistic thinking and integrated research in digital, humanities and economics. It is hoped that the forum can attract more disciplinary strengths, unite outstanding scholars in the academic circles of the two universities and countries, deepen all-round, multi-disciplinary and in-depth exchanges and cooperation, and shape a new academic mechanism featuring greater openness, inclusiveness, and mutual benefits.

Thirdly, to function as a civilizational bond that plays a leading role.

Asia is an important cradle of human civilization and has created a splendid civilization. China and Japan are the two largest economies and most important neighbors in Asia, and also the two representatives of Asian civilization and Asian culture. We hope that the forum, with its base on China and Japan, could bear in mind the integrated development of Asia and the world so as to deliver benefits to the humanity. By doing this, we are expected to continuously improve the academic influence and policy influence of the two schools in Asia and even the whole world, striving to make our powerful voice heard in the global academic area, and set a new paradigm for the inclusiveness, exchange, mutual understanding, and inheritance and development of civilizations.

Following Zhang Donggang’s remark, Nakano Satoshi said that since its founding in 1875, Hitotsubashi University has made its mission to cultivate talented people who are active around the world and to develop social science research that contributes to the development of society. He further noted that Hitotsubashi University has a deep affinity with China. For a long time, a number of graduates of Hitotsubashi University have been active in the business, political, and academic circles in Japan and China, and have done their best for the restoration of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the development of Japan-China relations, and the strengthening of Japan-China exchanges, and have made a positive contribution to the friendship between China and Japan and to the economic and social development of the two countries.

“Renmin University of China is Hitotsubashi University's most important global partner in China, and Hitotsubashi University and RUC have a deep friendship and a long history of exchanges. The two universities play an important role in the development of social sciences in their countries. 2023 was a very special year in the long history of exchanges between Hitotsubashi University and RUC, with a series of exchange activities organized by the two universities. In May and July, the two universities held "Renmin University of China Day" and "Hitotsubashi University Day" at Hitotsubashi University and Renmin University of China's Suzhou campus respectively. On October 12, Secretary Zhang Donggang visited Hitotsubashi University and signed the "Consensus between Renmin University of China and Hitotsubashi University of Japan on Deepening Strategic Partnership", confirming the profound significance of the partnership between the two universities. By further encouraging efforts to jointly organize forums, co-publish academic papers, participate in talent cultivation, and exchange, the two sides aims to further enhance their international influence, and to make contributions to the sustainable development of human societies.

In the end, President Nakano Satoshi reviewed the Asia Policy Forum and put forward his expectation on the 10th Forum, hoping that scholars from the two universities will make new and greater contributions to the exchange and mutual understanding of civilizations and the promotion of academic exchanges and cooperation.

Zheng Xinye, Vice President of RUC , stated that, with the further advancement of globalization, informatization, digitization, intelligence, and exchanges, interactions among countries around the world are bound to become closer and closer. Renmin University of China is willing to further strengthen exchanges and cooperation with Hitotsubashi University, and to promote academic exchanges, and cooperation in talent cultivation and scientific research. The two universities have the responsibility and obligation to contribute to the development of the two countries, and the construction of a shared community of humanity as well.

02

Themed forum

 During the themed forum, scholars from the two universities gave multidisciplinary keynote speeches on the opportunities and challenges brought by digital transformation. They also had heated discussions and in-depth exchanges on the new trends of scientific research and technological innovation in the digital era, the change of folk beliefs and local non-heritage folklore in the watershed area, the international governance of e-commerce and the U.S. industrial chain alliance, and the characteristics of artificial intelligence and human-machine trust.

About the Asia Policy Forum

Asia Policy Forum is an important platform for bilateral academic exchanges between Renmin University of China and Hitotsubashi University that aims to promote in-depth exchanges and cooperation between various disciplines of the two universities. The first Asia Policy Forum was held at Hitotsubashi University in 2010, and since then it has been hosted by the two universities on a rotating basis. Having effectively promoted cooperation in scientific research, talent cultivation, and cultural exchanges between the two universities, the forum is of great significance in enhancing further cooperation and exchanges between the two peoples and the two governments.

The 10th Asia Policy Forum was jointly organized by Renmin University of China and Hitotsubashi University, and hosted by the School of Sociology and Population Studies, Suzhou Campus, and the Digital Government and National Governance Lab of the Ministry of Education.

Heads of relevant departments of Renmin University of China and Hitotsubashi University attended the meeting. Experts and scholars from the School of Sociology and Population Studies, the School of International Studies and the Department of Psychology of Renmin University of China and the Graduate School of Social Sciences, the Graduate School of Language and Society, the Graduate School of Economics and the Graduate School of Law of Hitotsubashi University of Japan had a one-day academic exchange.