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38th Academic Salon for Ph.D. Students in Theoretical Economics: Never Forget Why You Started and Work Hard to Press Ahead

2018-06-05  

      On the afternoon of May 27th, 2018, the 38th Academic Salon for Ph.D. Students in Theoretical Economics was successfully held at lecture hall 1 in the Science and Technology Building of Shenzhen University (SZU). The salon, titled” Never Forget Why You Started and Work Hard to Press Ahead”, was co-hosted by China Center for Special Economic Zone Research (CCSEZR) and Shenzhen Ma Hong Foundation for the Economic Improvement Research, and was fully supported by Shenzhen Alumni Association of Nankai University. On the guest list were Prof. Tao Yitao, vice secretary of the CPC Committee of SZU, secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission of SZU and director of the CCSEZR, Xu Jing’an, dean of China Happiness Research Institute, Prof. Chang Xiuze, scholar of the Academy of Macroeconomic Research, Prof. Li Luoli, director general of Shenzhen Ma Hong Foundation for the Economic Improvement Research and Zhouda, president of Shenzhen Alumni Association of Nankai University. The salon was chaired by Guo Wanda, director general of Shenzhen Ma Hong Foundation for the Economic Improvement Research and executive vice president of China Development Institute (Shenzhen).
 

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Honored guests of the salon

 

      Li Luoli, director general of Shenzhen Ma Hong Foundation for the Economic Improvement Research, said in his speech that the Moganshan Meeting bears a far-reaching significance and is a turning point of Chinese economics. He wishes the young people present to cherish the great times and their beautiful youth, and to carry forward the mission, responsibility and pioneering spirit that the Meeting has left upon us.
 

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Xu Jing’an, dean of China Happiness Research Institute, delivers a speech

 

      Xu Jing’an, dean of China Happiness Research Institute, delivered a speech titled “A Recall of and Inspiration from the Moganshan Meeting” that centers on the enthusiasm for reform and pragmatic spirit. As the deputy team leader of the preparation team for Moganshan Meeting, he recalled the Meeting in a way that allows audience to relive the historic groundbreaking memories with him.

      Participants proposed a dual-track system for the price reform that is also a gradual reform model with which China has been successful in its transition from a planned economy to a market one. This price system, however, has also caused many problems and a quick transition to a new system becomes a pressing matter when it was beset by many drawbacks. ”A New Era” proposed at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (NCCPC) indicates a transition of our core concepts and value goals and necessitates a new reform that aims at sharing and achieving happiness, based on which dean Xu Jing’an introduced a value concept of “Happiness of China”. To achieve this concept, first, government must shift its governing philosophy into one that centers around enhancing the people’s sense of happiness; second, we need to change social concepts and build communities, enterprises and schools that pursue happiness; last but not least, we need to change people’s mind that the fundamental material wealth is only a means to achieving happiness, not a goal.

      Dean Xu Jing’an believed that “Happiness of China” needs joint efforts of government, society and people. He called on students and members of community present to pursue lofty ideas, and to treat themselves, others, society and nature with great kindness for the sake of happiness.

 

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Prof. Chang Xiuze of the Academy of Macroeconomic Research delivers a speech

 

      Prof. Chang Xiuze, economist and scholar of the Academy of Macroeconomic Research, delivered a speech titled ”Shouldering the Responsibility of China’s Transformation and Development, Passing on the Moganshan Spirit” by first presenting the inscription written by Deng Xiaoping when he went to Shenzhen on an inspection tour in January, 1984 that reads ”The development and experience of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone prove that our SEZ policy is correct.” He then went on with how Deng Xiaoping inspected Shenzhen with Gu Shutang, a venerable economist, and found that Shekou Industrial Zone was a test tube that combines socialist system with Hong Kong’s market economy, which inspired him to write the article ” Inspiration from the Development of Shekou Industrial Zone”. This article was later selected as one of the Monganshan Meeting papers.

      In his speech, he started off with the three focal issues before the Moganshan Meeting, indicating that it was the specific times that provided a historic opportunity for young- and middle-aged economists in the 1980s to voice out. Meanwhile, he made a brief introduction to the five topics discussed and five takeaways formed in the Meeting. Finally, he highlighted the effects and influence of the Moganshan Meeting as follows: First, it offers suggestions for the central government to make reform decisions; second, it deepens the research of Chinese economic reform theory; thirdly, it helps young- and middle-aged economists grow; forth, it effects later generations with its spirit of responsibility for the era, fair competition, freedom of expression and interaction between government and academia.

      Prof. Chang Xiuze hopes that the young generation can work with dedication and tireless efforts. They should, instead of focusing on the trivial things, shoulder the heavy responsibility of promoting China’s transformation and development in the critical historic period of transformation. Never forget why you started and work hard to press ahead.

 

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 Prof. Tao Yitao, vice secretary of the CPC Committee of SZU, secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission of SZU and director of the CCSEZR, makes a conclusion

 

      Prof. Tao Yitao, vice secretary of the CPC Committee of SZU, secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission of SZU and director of the CCSEZR made a conclusion that the salon is a feast of thoughts with profound significance, a dialogue between history and contemporary times, a wonderful meeting among the participants and also represents the perfect match between ”SZU spirit” and ”Moganshan Meeting spirit”. Prof. Tao believed by showing the spirit of shouldering great responsibility, daring to blaze a new trail and upholding freedom of expression in the reform of higher education in China, SZU will lift up its own distinctive banner that flies high in China’s history of reform and opening-up. The salon was concluded amid thunders of applause from the participants.
 

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 Group photo of participants of the salon

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Group photo of participants of the salon