On October 19, the 2024 Guangdong Social Sciences Academic Annual Conference titled “Deepening Reform and Opening Up to Propel China’s Modernization through High-Quality Development of Guangdong’s New Productive Forces” was held in Meeting Room 1, Tongde Building, Liuxiandong Campus of SZPU. Vice Secretary of the Party Committee and President Xu Jianling, CEO of the Hong Kong Institute of Bankers Carrie Leung, Vice Chairman of Shenzhen Federation of Social Sciences Fan Weijun, and Second-Level Inspector of Guangdong Federation of Social Sciences He Fangjun delivered speeches. The event brought together over 120 experts and scholars from more than 50 institutions, including universities, party schools, research organizations, and industry associations from within and outside Guangdong, to contribute insights on “strategic pillars for new development, models of high-quality growth, and pioneers of Chinese modernization”. Vice President Zhang Zuotai chaired the opening ceremony.

In his speech, Xu Jianling remarked that the sub-forum, themed “Deepening Reform and Opening Up to Propel China’s Modernization through High-Quality Development of Guangdong’s New Productive Forces”, holds significant theoretical value and practical importance for academic exchange and discussion. SZPU remains committed to grounded and pioneering applied research, building a high-quality science and innovation system, seizing new industry opportunities, and promoting breakthroughs in new productive forces through high-level research.

Carrie Leung highlighted that new productive forces focus on driving sustainable economic development through innovation and technology. She emphasized the symbiotic relationship between technological innovation and financial technology, noting that the competition in financial technology ultimately hinges on talent. The Hong Kong Institute of Bankers will actively promote mutual recognition of qualifications across Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area by launching the “Banking Professional Qualification Framework – FinTech Professionals” and the first-level mutual recognition for “Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Macau FinTech Professional”, fostering talent exchange in financial technology within the Greater Bay Area.

Fan Weijun underscored that the symposium theme aligns with the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the CPC and the second and third plenary sessions of the 20th Central Committee. It reflects a comprehensive implementation of the new development philosophy and follows the “Decision of the CPC Central Committee on Further Deepening Reform and Advancing Chinese Modernization”. As a front-runner in reform and opening up, Shenzhen carries the mission of providing replicable and scalable experiences for the nation. He called on experts and scholars to freely share insights and offer suggestions on deepening reform and opening up, empowering high-quality development with new productive forces.

He Fangjun noted that the symposium theme not only aligns with the strategic directives of the new era but also addresses the current requirements for deepening reform and opening up and fostering new productive forces. He encouraged participants to offer theoretical explanations and valuable perspectives on key issues such as Guangdong’s high-quality development under comprehensive reform and opening up, Guangdong’s contributions and challenges in promoting China’s modernization, and policies and practices supporting comprehensive reform and opening up in Guangdong, to help the province lead in China’s modernization efforts.

This symposium was organized by the Guangdong Federation of Social Sciences, with support from the Greater Bay Area Financial, Tax, and Legal Research Center, the FinTech Industry Institute, and the Smart Finance Industry Institute of SZPU. The event was co-organized byFriends of Accounting,Social Sciences in Shenzhen magazine, China Merchants Bank, and Yonyou Network Technology Co., Ltd. The forum also featured two thematic paper-sharing sessions focusing on “Economics and Finance” and “Management, Law, and Education”, where 14 authors presented their research.

(He Lian, School of Economics)