The 6th Annual Silk Road Entrepreneurship Education Network Conference jointly organized by the Silk Road Entrepreneurship Education Network (SREEN), Global Entrepreneurship Research Center of Zhejiang University, Faculty of Business, Faculty of Finance, and Institute for Research on Portuguese-Speaking Countries of City University of Macau, took place today at the Taipa Campus of the City University of Macau (CityU).
Attendees at the opening ceremony of the annual conference included Prof. Jun Liu, Rector of CityU, Prof. Wang Zhongming, chairman of the SREEN and senior professor in the field of social sciences at Zhejiang University, and Prof. Wang Yuhong, Dean of the School of Continuing Education of Jiangnan University. This year’s annual conference themed “Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Leadership Development” brought together experts and scholars from mainland China and overseas, including the United Kingdom and Japan. The conference was hosted on-site and via online conference.
In his speech, Rector Jun Liu highlighted that the Silk Road Entrepreneurship Education Network (SREEN), as an international cooperation platform for higher education, contributed to Macao’s development as “One Center, One Platform, One Base.” It promoted the moderate diversification and sustainable development of the local economy and paved the way for higher education towards diversification and internationalization. He mentioned that CityU would carry on the tradition of the Silk Road, characterized by “peaceful cooperation, openness, inclusiveness, mutual learning, and win-win cooperation.” Inherited the legacy of the past to empowering its future, the University will actively engage in mutual learning and development with domestic and international universities, aiming to cultivate high-quality and versatile talents with global perspectives.
In his speech, Prof. Wang Zhongming mentioned that the Silk Road Entrepreneurship Education Network (SREEN) had established a collaborative demonstration base network worldwide. A total of 32 renowned higher education institutions from home and abroad had signed cooperation agreements with SREEN. He highlighted that SREEN is dedicated to the development of the “Belt and Road Initiative” and “Silk Road Economic Belt,” aiming to promote inter-institutional exchanges, talent cultivation, scientific research, and other forms of cooperation among universities in the countries and regions along the “New Silk Road Economic Belt.” Prof. Wang emphasized that the objective of SREEN is to establish a cross-border platform for collaboration and interaction among business schools. The platform aimed to facilitate exchanges and cooperation in sustainable entrepreneurship and leadership development. Through this conference, he expressed his hope that the education sector could continue strengthening the cultivation of talents with international leadership skills and an innovative spirit under the context of globalized education.
The thematic presentation session included two main themes. The first session, moderated by Prof. Wang Zhongming, featured Prof. José C. Alves, Dean of CityU’s Faculty of Business, and Prof. Tadao Onaka from the Graduate School of Business, Nagoya University in Japan. They delivered speeches and engaged in discussions primarily focusing on topics such as “Limitations of Traditional Education,” “Challenges Faced by Transnational Entrepreneurs,” and “The Essence of Sustainable Entrepreneurship.” In the second session, Prof. Andrew Godley from the School of Business, the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom and Prof. Ito Takehiko presented and discussed topics including “Information Asymmetry,” “Pricing Mechanisms,” “New Entrepreneurship,” and “Sustainable Development in Japan.”
The roundtable discussion session was hosted by Prof. Adrian Cheung Wai Kong, Dean of CityU’s Faculty of Finance. The participants included Prof. Wang Yuhong, Prof. Xiao Yangao from the University of Electronic Science and Technology, Prof. Shi Liangxing from Tianjin University, Prof. Eva Khong Yueng Wah, Associate Dean of CityU’s Faculty of Finance, and Associate Prof. Zhao Yanhai, Associate Dean of the School of Management at Lanzhou University. The focus of the discussion was on “Leadership Development in Sustainable Entrepreneurship.”
During the session, various topics were discussed, including the significance of innovation, efficiency, responsibility, and long-term success as crucial elements of sustainable business strategies. The participants also introduced the concept of sustainable entrepreneurship education within the context of emerging engineering discipline. They emphasized how the creativity of the new generation of entrepreneurs could contribute to accelerating industrial development.
Additionally, they shared insights into the current status of entrepreneurship education in Macao. The Macao Young Entrepreneur Incubation Centre was established to strengthen cooperation among nine youth innovation and entrepreneurship bases within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Through organizing various competitions and activities and leveraging Macao’s favorable business environment, the center serves as a platform, enhancing students’ international perspectives and cultivating more young entrepreneurs for the benefit of society.
At the conclusion of the conference, Vice Rector Ip Kuai Peng from CityU, Prof. Wang Zhongming, Prof. José Alves, and Prof. Adrian Cheung delivered their closing remarks. They underscored the importance of national innovation and development, highlighting the role of entrepreneurship along the Belt and Road Initiative in promoting technological progress and national advancement. They also emphasized the significant role played by the construction of an international educational platform.
Among the CityU’s members attending the conference were Pro-Rector Vince Chu Te Lin, Prof. José Paulo Afonso Esperança, Associate Dean of Faculty of Business, and Prof. Liying Cheng, Dean of the School of Education.
Source: Faculty of Finance
