Since its establishment as the China Center For Economic Research (CCER) in 1994 by six prestigious returning scholars – Justin Yifu Lin, Yi Gang, Hai Wen, Zhang Weiying, Zhang Fan, and Yu Mingde – the National School of Development (NSD) at Peking University has grown and evolved into powerful think tank and research & education platform with seven research centres as well as the Beijing International MBA (BiMBA).
On its 20th Anniversary Celebration on April 19, 2014, guests and alumni from government and business circles gathered at Peking University to look back at the past 20 years of the NSD.
The celebration included the 20th Anniversary Meeting and Forum in the morning, six subforums in different venues in the afternoon and an evening gala party for teachers, students, and alumni in the evening.
The ceremony was opened by NSD Dean, Professor Yao Yang. The morning ceremony was attended by the likes of Han Qide, Vice-president of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China and Chairman of the Jiusan Society; Justin Yifu Lin, Honorary Dean of NSD at Peking University; Zhu Shanlu, Secretary for Peking University CPC Committee; Yan Weifang, former Secretary for Peking University CPC Committee and professor of NSD at Peking University; Yi Gang, Vice President of People's Bank of China and Director of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, and co-founder of NSD; Hao Yuan, Vice Governor of Gansu Province and West China MBA Alumnus of NSD; Li Yansong, Vice President of Peking University; Huang Zhiyuan, President of Sinar Mas Group; Liu Chuanzhi, Chairman of Legend Holding; Shi Jinchuan, Director of Faculty of Social Sciences at Zhejiang University; Zhao Tao, 2000 EMBA Alumnus of NSD and Chairman of Buchang Pharma; Professor Dong Wenjun and Professor Zhang Weiying who were involved in the founding of NSD; foreign guests from The Ford Foundation, Business School of Fordham University and Vlerick Leuven-Gent Management School which are years of partners with BiMBA of NSD at Peking University; undergraduates and alumni of double degrees program, combined masters/doctorate programs, MBA, EMBA, economics class, and finance class, and numerous mainstream media.
Yao Yang introduced the history and achievements of NSD at Peking University in his opening speech. Over the past two decades, the fortunes of CCER and NSD have reflected China's great historical progress. During this time, the NSD has sought to combine its economics study with China's economic reality; its mission to present China to the world and to explore new knowledge and new theories of economics through China's practice. Here, teachers focus on the teaching and research of economics and take the lead in almost all discussions related to China's reforms.
Justin Yifu Lin, co-founder, Chief Director of CCER, and Honorary Dean of NSD, reviewed with deep emotion NSD's history and presented change of times related to economics study. Looking into the future, he claimed that China still has to overcome numerous challenges, especially internal conflicts in economy, politics, society, culture and environment before achieving the economy objective set by the 18th CPC Central Committee. NSD should stick to its consistent aim for the past 20 years and continue to make its own contribution to theory study, policy study and the teaching of economics.
Zhu Shanlu stated that Peking University is on its way to becoming a world-class educational institution, and the NSD has inherited its spirit over its 20 years of growth. He shared three points: the key to NSD's fruitful achievements is its striving for excellence; the NSD embraced a scientific and advanced, unique and inimitable philosophy of education, which has enabled it to provide valuable policy advice; NSD has provided us a wonderful view of China’s development and society.
Legend Holding Chairman and Executive Committee President Liu Chuanzhi, an old friend of the NSD, gave a short speech on behalf of business attendees. He summarized the three features of NSD: favorable atmosphere, focus on integrating micro and macro, and emphasis on delivering researchers with good grasp of Chinese and western cultures. In addition, he mentioned the expectation for think tank from the business circles.
Shi Jinchuan, Director of Faculty of Social Sciences at Zhejiang University, gave a speech on behalf of peers. According to him, the most commendable aspect of the NSD was that its founders could predict keenly large-scale systematic evolutions and economic development in China, and the importance of resources elements driven by the reform for economics study.
Hao Yuan, Vice Governor of Gansu Province and West China MBA Alumnus of NSD, said that Peking University not only delivered unparalleled knowledge to him, but reinforced global vision and compassion for society.
Zhao Tao, 2000 EMBA Alumnus of NSD and Chairman of Buchang Pharma, also recollected his school days in Peking University and claimed that the NSD‘s role was not only the think tank of economic policy for the government, but also a power house delivering numerous outstanding entrepreneurs with global vision.
From the perspective of his years’ contact with NSD's double degree economics program, Han Qide, Vice-president of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China and Chairman of the Jiusan Society, recognized NSD’s efforts in nurturing talent and development ideas and shared his thoughts about China's education reform and think tank development.
Following guests' enlightening words, founders of the CCER appeared onstage together. It seemed to happen just in the blink of an eye: six young and vigorous scholars: Justin Yifu Lin, Yi Gang, Hai Wen, Zhang Weiying, Zhang Fan, and Yu Mingde, inspired by the love for the country, founded and devoted themselves to the CCER for its favorable growth in the past 20 years.
NSD Deputy Dean Huang Yiping hosted the next part in the morning with Song Guoqing, NSD professor and member of the MPC of the People's Bank of China, Yu Yongding, member of Faculty Department of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Fan Gang, Director of the National Bureau of Economic Research, and Yi Gang, Vice President of People's Bank of China and Director of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange contributing a wonderful discussion of "China's macro economy and finance".
After the ceremony and main forum in the morning, alumni of double degrees program, combined masters/doctorate programs, BiMBA, economics class, and finance class used their own connections and invited renowned guests including Che Pinjue and Wang Qiang for subforums on "Big Data and Internet Finance", "Pension and Medical Care", "The New Entrepreneurship Age", "From Economic Theory to Realistic Investment - Research Methods of the Capital Market", "Thoughts on Media Transformation and Innovation", "Research Methods of Modern Economics", etc. Each subforum attracted on average 100 to 300 of alumni and guests from all industries, on which alumni and experts initiated in-depth discussion on hot issues, and key issues for current economic construction and theoretical development.
Coming into the night, alumni reunited with their teachers and expressed their thanks for the school and teachers with carefully produced songs and dance, and showed their determination and effort to share their future with the NSD on the charity auction launched by the NSD Alumni Fund.
