On the afternoon of January 20, 2025, the 2025 Annual Joint Coordination Meeting of the Three Co-Founding Parties (the “Three Parties”) of Dishui Lake Advanced Finance Institute, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (“SUFE-DAFI” or the “Institute”) (the “Meeting”) was held in the conference room on the 9th floor of the Institute. The Meeting aimed to strengthen cooperation and communication among the Three Parties and jointly discuss the Institute’s future development and planning.
Attendees included XU Tao, Secretary of the Party Committee of SUFE; YANG Zhengwei, Member of the Party Working Committee and Executive Deputy Director of the Lingang New Area Administrative Committee; LIU Yuanchun, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and President of SUFE; LIU Liya, Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Vice President of SUFE; as well as representatives from relevant functional departments and offices of the Lingang New Area Administrative Committee and SUFE, Lingang Group, Shanghai Lingang New Area Economic Development Co., Ltd., and Shanghai Lingang Science and Technology Innovation City Economic Development Co., Ltd.
The Meeting was chaired by Vice President LIU Liya.
Comprehensive Review of 2024 Achievements and Blueprint for 2025 Development
First, a report by CHEN Xuanjuan, Executive Dean of SUFE-DAFI, in respect of the Institute’s 2024 work summary and 2025 work plan was heard at the Meeting. Executive Dean CHEN Xuanjuan stated that as a hub for nurturing emerging finance talents rooted in Lingang, the Institute had always adhered to its mission of “rooting in Lingang, serving the whole country, and embracing the globe”. In 2024, centering on the “5+2” strategic layout, covering the “Five Key Areas in Finance” plus cross-border finance and reinsurance, the Institute achieved remarkable results in talent cultivation, international cooperation, and brand building. It built a high-caliber faculty team consisting of full-time teachers, dual-appointed teachers, adjunct professors, industry mentors, and distinguished professors;pioneered innovative master’s programs in ESG Finance, Cross-Border Finance, and AI Finance; and organized various events throughout the year, reaching a total of 70 million people, with over 500 media reports.
Looking ahead to 2025, Executive Dean CHEN Xuanjuan pointed out that the Institute will continue its strong presence in the Lingang market, fully advance the connotative development of “Integration (of Party building and business) + High Quality & High Standard”, and explore new paths for Party building under the highly open environment of the Lingang New Area. Key initiatives include: launching four new programs, including master’s and doctoral programs in AI Finance; negotiating international cooperative education programs with universities such as the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and the National University of Singapore (NUS); implementing the “Four Ones” Initiative focusing on sci-tech finance and green finance; and establishing a key laboratory for reinsurance application and innovation.
The Institute’s 2024 Financial Final Accounts Report and 2025 Financial Budget Report were also heard at the Meeting. With the joint support of the Three Parties, the Institute maintained sound financial operations in 2024, with standardized use of various funds and the budget execution rate meeting the expected target. In 2025, the Institute will further strengthen budget management and optimize resource allocation to provide solid financial support for its development.
The Meeting deliberated and approved the personnel item regarding Professor QIU Jiaping’s appointment as Vice Dean of the Institute.
Rooting in Lingang, Serving the Country: Three Parties Discuss New Development Chapters
Regarding the Institute’s future development, members of the Joint Coordination Meeting Office offered constructive suggestions: FU Lenghong, Assistant Director of the Financial Development Department of Lingang Group, emphasized the need to root in Lingang, serve the real economy, and further deepen development in cross-border finance and sci-tech finance.
On behalf of Shanghai Lingang Science and Technology Innovation City Economic Development Co., Ltd., LI Ziwei, General Manager of the company, stated that it would fully support the Institute in areas such as property services.
SUN Canglong, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Shanghai Lingang New Area Economic Development Co., Ltd., suggested that the Institute should further align with the development direction of Lingang’s modern service industry, strengthen layout in trade finance and shipping finance, and provide financial empowerment and talent training support for enterprises going global.
FANG Juan, Deputy Director of the Social Development Department of the Lingang New Area Administrative Committee, proposed further promoting coordinated development with the Dishui Lake University Town and the basic education sector.
YIN Jun, Deputy Director (acting as Director) of the Financial and Trade Department of the Lingang New Area Administrative Committee, urged the Institute to deepen integration with Lingang’s cutting-edge development priorities, strengthen linkage in Party building and research, empower Lingang through high-end training activities, and further enhance Lingang’s talent and popularity aggregation function.
Vice President LIU Liya emphasized that SUFE-DAFI’s Version 2.0 should pursue “faster-than-expected” development. In 2025, the Institute will further strengthen the building of an international, high-level faculty team, and collaborate with Lingang to explore more innovative cooperation models.
Secretary XU Tao, Executive Deputy Director YANG Zhengwei, and President LIU Yuanchun delivered speeches respectively.
In his speech, President LIU Yuanchun emphasized that SUFE-DAFI was still in the stage of joint cultivation by the Three Parties, and 2025 remained a crucial year for the Institute to lay a solid foundation. He stated that the Institute’s faculty team would see comprehensive improvement, aiming to build a “world-class teaching team and a top-tier domestic management team”. President LIU Yuanchun noted that the Institute would develop full-time academic and practical faculty teams within five years to realize the “5+1” strategic layout (Five Key Areas in Finance + offshore finance). “We must root in the fertile soil of Lingang, and gradually grow into a world-class advanced finance institute through self-cultivation and self-development.”
Executive Deputy Director YANG Zhengwei highly recognized the Institute’s development plan. He stated that in the nearly two years since its establishment, SUFE-DAFI has become an important landmark of the Lingang New Area. For future development, the Institute should deeply integrate into the broader ecosystem of Lingang’s financial sector: “We now have Dishui Lake Financial Bay, Dishui Lake Financial Forum, and SUFE-DAFI, there is great potential to form a complete ecosystem in the future.” He emphasized that the Institute should develop differentiated advantages in characteristic areas such as sci-tech finance, offshore finance, and cross-border finance, and truly achieve the goal of cultivating and reserving outstanding talents for Lingang-based enterprises.
In his speech, Secretary XU Tao first affirmed the Institute’s remarkable achievements over the past year. He emphasized that for the future, the Institute should focus on three key directions: 1. Conduct deeper cooperation with the Party Working Committee of the Lingang New Area, jointly gain a deeper understanding of the connotation of Lingang’s national strategy, and practice SUFE’s characteristic Party building programs on the fertile ground of Lingang’s reform and opening-up; 2. Carry out the work of cultivating talents and serving national strategies at the forefront of reform and opening-up; 3. Strengthen faculty team building, and build a globally influential teaching and research team by attracting world-class talents. He stated that with the strong support of the Three Parties, the Institute would truly fulfill its original purpose of establishment and achieve mutual empowerment and common growth.
2025 is a crucial year for SUFE-DAFI to advance into its Version 2.0. The successful convening of this Meeting has further strengthened the strategic cooperative relationship among SUFE, the Lingang New Area Administrative Committee, and Lingang Group, and mapped out a clear path for the Institute’s future development. Standing at a new starting point, SUFE-DAFI will adopt a broader vision and more solid measures to deeply integrate into Lingang’s overall development, and contribute greater efforts to serving national strategies and supporting the development of Shanghai as an international financial center.
