Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management (Tsinghua SEM) held its 2023 Advisory Board Meeting on the morning of October 20, 2023. It was the board's 24th annual meeting since its establishment. A total of 20 board members attended the meeting, 17 of whom were overseas members.

Chinese Vice President HAN Zheng met with representatives of the board at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing before the meeting on October 19.

Chinese Vice President HAN Zheng meets with representatives of the Advisory Board of the Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management in Beijing, capital of China, October 19, 2023.

HAN said President XI Jinping attaches great importance to the work of the advisory board. He said he appreciated the advisors' longstanding care and effort in supporting China's economic and educational development. He said China has always been a staunch supporter of economic globalization and maintains a basic state policy of opening up. China especially values expanding cooperation in the fields of science, technology and education, and promoting high-quality development. Furthermore, he said while facing global challenges, all parties need to strengthen exchanges, enhance understanding, and build greater consensus. He called on advisors to actively play their roles in promoting cooperation between China and the world in various areas and to offer advice for Chinese modernization.

The advisors, led by Apple CEO Tim Cook, spoke highly of the Chinese government's commitment to reform and opening up and expressed willingness to enhance communication with China, increase investment in China and cooperation in areas including science, technology and new energy, carry out more academic exchanges, and contribute to Chinese modernization.

LOU Jiwei, a specially invited expert of the Advisory Board, standing committee member, and chairman of the Committee of Foreign Affairs of The 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC); CHEN Jie, vice minister of the Ministry of Education; XU Feihong, assistant minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; QIU Yong, secretary of the CPC Tsinghua University Committee; WANG Xiqin, president of Tsinghua University and vice chairman of the Advisory Board of Tsinghua SEM; YANG Bin, vice president of Tsinghua University; QIAN Yingyi, vice chairman of the Advisory Board of Tsinghua SEM, distinguished professor of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Tsinghua University and fourth dean (2006-2018) of Tsinghua SEM; BAI Chong-En, dean of Tsinghua SEM; YU Xiaoxiao, deputy secretary-general of Tsinghua University and director of both the Party Committee Office and President's Office at Tsinghua University; CHEN Yubo, secretary of the Party Committee of Tsinghua SEM; along with leaders from related bureaus and departments under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education, attended the meeting.

The Advisory Board meeting on October 20 was chaired by Tim Cook. Cook introduced the current members of the Advisory Board as well as the three newcomers. He expressed his gratitude for the contributions and support given to the Advisory Board by all members, including the three departing members.

Tim Cook at the Advisory Board meeting.

Tsinghua Vice President YANG Bin opened by conveying greetings from ZHU Rongji, the inaugural dean of Tsinghua SEM and its honorary chairman, to the members of the Advisory Board and the specially invited experts. On behalf of the university, he expressed his gratitude to all members for their efforts to both Tsinghua University and Tsinghua SEM.

YANG Bin speaks at the meeting.

BAI Chong-En reported to the Advisory Board on the progress of the school's work over the past year. He followed up on last year's suggestions from the Advisory Board, addressed the challenges brought the by the COVID-19 pandemic on the work, highlighted teaching programs, faculty and research, and activities related to the Advisory Board. He briefly introduced the theme of this year's meeting: Integrating into the Eco-System of Sustainable Development. He explained its significance and implications, the school's related thoughts and measures, and the issues on which he hopes the Advisory Board will provide suggestions. The members deliberated on the school's work over the past year and the theme of the meeting, and then offered constructive advice and recommendations for the school's development.

BAI Chong-En speaks at the meeting.

Tim Cook and other board members said they were pleased to see the topic of this year's Advisory Board meeting focus on how Tsinghua SEM can further incorporate sustainable development into its teaching. They said they had a responsibility to educate the next generation and empower them to address the increasing challenges and seize future opportunities in such a dynamic era.

Attendees included LOU Jiwei; ZHAO Chunjun, the second dean of Tsinghua SEM; QIAN Yingyi, the fourth dean of Tsinghua SEM; Lord Browne of Madingley, chairman of BeyondNetZero and former group chief executive of bp p.l.c; H. Lee Scott, Jr, former president and CEO of Wal-mart Stores, Inc; Thomas Buberl, CEO of Axa; William E. Ford, chairman and CEO of General Atlantic; Victor K. Fung, group chairman of the Fung Group; Ola Källenius, chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG; Jonathan D. Levin, Philip H. Knight Professor and dean of Stanford Graduate School of Business; Richard Li, founder and chairman of Pacific Century Group; Óscar García Maceiras, CEO of Inditex Group; Sir Andrew Mackenzie, chairman of the board of Royal Dutch Shell p.l.c; Doug McMillon, president and CEO of Walmart Inc; Stephen A. Schwarzman, chairman, CEO, and co-founder of Blackstone; A. Michael Spence, Philip H. Knight Professor Emeritus of Management of Stanford University and 2001 Nobel laureate in economics; John L. Thornton, fourth chairman of the Advisory Board (2010-2013), executive chairman of Barrick Gold Corporation, chairman of Pinebridge Investments and chair emeritus of Brookings Institution; Marjorie Yang, chairman and CEO of Esquel Group; and Oliver Zipse, chairman of the board of management of BMW AG. In addition, YU Xiaoxiao, deputy secretary-general of Tsinghua University and director of both the Party Committee Office and President's Office at Tsinghua University; LI Jinliang, director of the Office of International Affairs at Tsinghua University; and members of the Tsinghua SEM Joint Committee of Party and Administration were present.

Photo from the 2023 Tsinghua SEM Advisory Board meeting.

Sir Andrew Mackenzie, John L. Thornton, A. Michael Spence, Victor K. Fung, Marjorie Yang, Óscar García Maceiras, and Oliver Zipse lectured in the Tsinghua SEM classrooms and interacted with students from various programs during the meeting. The school held the 2023 Tsinghua Management Global Forum on the evening of October 18. Dean BAI Chong-En and Professor A. Michael Spence engaged in a captivating discussion about the topic "Permacrisis: A Plan to Fix a Fractured World" during the forum.

Tsinghua SEM Advisory Board members pose for a group photo.

The Tsinghua SEM Advisory Board was established in October 2000 and is composed of prominent business executives, business school deans, renowned scholars and experts from both domestic and international arenas, including Nobel laureates in economics. ZHU Rongji, the first dean of Tsinghua SEM, serves as the honorary chairman of the Advisory Board. The board's mission is to strengthen connections between Tsinghua SEM and various sectors globally, to enhance its teaching and research capacities, and to support its journey towards becoming a world-class school of economics and management.