French Finance Minister Michel Sapin Holds Lecture at Renmin University
2015.09.20
On the afternoon of September 18
th, French Finance Minister Michel Sapin came to Renmin University and held a lecture on “The Era of Global Governance.”
Renmin University President CHEN Yulu, who together with Vice President YI Zhihong welcomed the French finance minister at RUC’s Century Stadium, noted that 2015 marked the 51
st anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France. Later this year (30 Nov. - 11 Dec. 2015), France will host the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Paris, while in 2016, China will take on the rotating chairmanship of the G20 and host the G20 summit. Sapin’s speech, delivered at a crucial point in time, when global governance is undergoing far-reaching reforms, was enthusiastically welcomed by RUC students and faculty alike. Recent research at Renmin university into cutting edge field of global concern, such as international monetary reform, low-carbon economy, and ecological construction have yielded fruitful results in the past few years. The research carried out at RUC schools and research Institutes, such as the Climate Change and Low Carbon Economy Research Institute or the International Monetary Institute, has persistently addressed vital issues in governance reform relevant to China and the world.
President CHEN stated that since the joint establishment in June 2012 of the Sino-French Institute by Renmin University, Paris-Sorbonne, the University of Montpellier, and KEDGE Business School, this important base of Sino-French educational and cultural exchange has become a successful model of practical cooperation between China and France in the higher education sector.
Renmin University attaches great importance to its exchanges and cooperation with French institutions of higher learning, having established partnerships with the Paris Institute of Political Studies, Paris-Sorbonne University, and a number of other leading French universities. There are currently 57 French students enrolled at Renmin University, 160 students from France have attended the RUC’s annual Summer School, and a total of 389 French students have graduated from Renmin University.
French Finance Minister Michel Sapin in his speech on global governance stressed the importance of increased cooperation between France and China. He touched on the vital issue of reform, the Euro and the RMB within the global monetary system, and recent French reform measures. The Euro crisis, he noted, has forced Europeans to recognize the continuous need for change in any economic system, as well as the need to promote closer and more durable cooperation between nations to create stronger economies around the world. France and China share the common economic goal of creating a more stable and balanced international financial system that will universally benefit progress.
At the upcoming 21st Session of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, a new agreement will be sought that is first of all sustainable, flexible, and fair; that requires each country to submit emission reduction targets; and that, importantly, mobilizes non-government entities, including local governments, businesses, and civic organizations, to tackle climate change.
After the Finance Minister’s speech, the floor was opened for questions from eager listeners, including students from the School of Economics, Renmin University’s International Monetary Research Institute, and the Institute of Finance and Banking. RUC students were keen to know more about the finance minister’s views on the future of the international monetary and financial system and were also interested in the French welfare system. The lecture ended with lively discussion before Sapin posed for pictures with a delighted group of students.