On September 17, the inauguration ceremony and the first council of the “Belt and Road” University Alliance of Finance and Economics was held by the University of International Business and Economics.Twenty universities from China, Austria, Bulgaria, Portugal, Greece, Russia, Tunisia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Brazil, Mexico, Georgia and other countries have witnessed the establishment of the alliance as the founding member universities. Shandong University of Finance and Economics (SDUFE) is one of the founding member universities of the alliance. SDUFE President Zhao Zhongxiu attended the inauguration ceremony and participated in the meeting.

        At the meeting, Zhao Zhongxiu gave a keynote speech on the topic of “Openness and Inclusiveness Promoting World Economic Recovery and Prosperity—The Role of Finance and Economics Universities”. He introduced the running scale and openness of education and believed that the current financial colleges and universities face many ups and downs and challenges, but at the same time face new development opportunities. All finance and economics colleges and universities should unite and cooperate to promote openness and tolerance, inherit the value of universities, and bravely assume the historical mission.Furthermore, Zhao Zhongxiu sincerely invited all member universities to gather in Jinan next June to participate in the 70th anniversary celebration of SDUFE.

        Leaders and experts from the University of International Business and Economics, Central University of Finance and Economics, Shanxi University of Finance and Economics, Dongbei University of Finance and Economics, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law and Upper Austria University of Applied Sciences, Gele University in Thailand, St. Petersburg State University of Economics in Russia, Athens University of Economics and Business in Greece, Astana International University of Kazakhstan, University of Surabaya, Indonesia addressed the meeting respectively, shared the results of exchanges and cooperation with universities in the “Belt and Road” countries, and expressed the cooperation intention to share high-quality educational resources.

        The “Belt and Road” Finance and Economics University Alliance aims to unite finance and economics colleges in the “Belt and Road” countries to carry out forward-looking and key theoretical research around the “Belt and Road” Initiative, and promote international cooperation and resource sharing between Chinese and foreign financial education institutions so as to enhance the international influence of financial colleges and universities, and contribute to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind and the global common development.In recent years, SDUFE hassubstantialcooperation and exchanges with universities in countries along the “Belt and Road” Initiative such as Singapore, Malaysia, Turkey, Israel, Poland, Czech Republic, and Austria, and has carried out various types of exchange projects participated by teachers and students.