On December 21, 2024, the 29th meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Minoru Kobayashi China Economic Research Fund of the School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University (Tsinghua SEM) was held. The meeting was attended by Li Zinai, chairman of the Board of Trustees; vice-chairman Wei Jianing; trustees Zhu Ning, Xue Lei, Yang Siqun, and Zhao Dongqing; Wu Kangping, director of the fund's management committee and trustee; and Wu Shuyuan, deputy director of the fund's management committee.

The Board of Trustees of the Minoru Kobayashi China Economic Research Fund holds the 29th meeting.

During the meeting, the attendees reviewed and approved the 2024 financial and work reports for the fund, along with the Minoru Kobayashi China Economic Research Scholarships for 2024. Completion reports on two projects were also presented. The first, delivered by Tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Economics Dong Feng, was "Exploring the Current State, Causes, and Impact of Global Inflation on China's Macroeconomy." The second, delivered by Wu Tian, an associate researcher at the Institute for Global Development, Tsinghua University, focused on "ESG Evaluation and Green Transformation of Listed Enterprises." Additionally, Yin Cheng, an assistant professor in the Department of Accounting provided a project initiation report on "Consumer Information Protection and Corporate Investment Efficiency: A Quasi-Natural Experiment Based on the Cybersecurity Law."

The meeting also included presentations on two undergraduate student summer social survey projects, followed by feedback from the attending trustees.

The session featured an award ceremony for the 2024 Minoru Kobayashi China Economic Research Paper Award. Yang Fan, a doctoral student from the Department of Accounting, spoke on behalf of the recipients. He expressed his gratitude to the fund and emphasized his commitment to pursuing more meaningful research aligned with national development priorities. He noted that the recipients are committed to contributing to the advancement of economic studies in China.

Members of the fund's Board of Trustees pose for a group photo with some award-winning students of the Minoru Kobayashi China Economic Research Paper Award.

About the Minoru Kobayashi China Economic Research Fund

Minoru Kobayashi was a close friend of the Chinese people and dedicated his life to studying China's economic development. Between 1979 and 1993, he visited China 70 times and authored numerous works on China's economic reform and development strategies. His insights offered many valuable and constructive suggestions for China's economic progress. In his later years, he expressed a wish to establish a fund to support Chinese researchers focused on socio-economic issues. In 1996, his wish became a reality when Mrs. Keiko Kobayashi, acting in accordance with his wishes, donated his savings after his passing. With support from Chinese and Japanese friends, including Wu Jinglian, Liu Guoguang, Chen Qingtai, and Li Jianguo, the fund was officially established at Tsinghua SEM under the name "China Economic Research Fund." The operation and management of the fund were entrusted to a board of trustees and a management committee established by the Chinese side.

The fund has consistently supported research on Chinese economic issues with a primary focus on young faculty members at Tsinghua SEM. To date, nearly 60 research projects have been funded , with over 30 faculty members subsequently securing grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China or the National Social Science Fund of China.

In the past decade, the fund shifted its focus toward undergraduate social surveys, benefiting nearly 1,000 students nationwide. These efforts have yielded numerous achievements, including gold and silver awards for social practice and outstanding student science and technology activity. Additionally, the fund established the Minoru Kobayashi China Economic Research Paper Award, which has been presented 29 times, with nearly 200 students recognized for their academic contributions.

Current Board of Trustees:

Honorary Chairman: Wu Jinglian

Honorary Trustees: Keiko Kobayashi, Chen Qingtai, Liu Guoguang, Lin Senmu, Zhao Chunjun

Chairman: Li Zinai

Vice Chairman: Wei Jianing

Trustees: Zhu Ning, Chen Guoqing, Xue Lei, Yang Siqun, Zhao Dongqing, Wu Kangping

Management Committee:

Director: Wu Kangping

Deputy Director: Wu Shuyuan

Editor: Ren Zhongxi