Against the backdrop of persistently slowing global economic growth, digital technology serves as both a new driver for recovery and a source of challenges such as the digital divide, data security, and governance lags. In this context, from November 24th to 25th, the Department of Economics at Shenzhen MSU-BIT University, jointly with Lomonosov Moscow State University and Beijing Institute of Technology, hosted the International Symposium on Digital Technology and Economic Order Restructuring. The event aimed to pool intellectual resources and explore governance logic and development pathways for the digital era. Over 80 scholars, young faculty members, and corporate representatives from domestic and international institutions attended, including Lomonosov Moscow State University, Beijing Institute of Technology, Fudan University, South China University of Technology, Shenzhen University, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), and France's IÉSEG School of Management.
The opening ceremony was chaired by Professor Meng Fanchen, Chinese Director of the Department of Economics at Shenzhen MSU-BIT University. Leaders and faculty representatives from the university's Academic Affairs Office, Research Office, International Academic Exchange and Cooperation Office, Student Affairs Office, Department of Management, and Eurasian Research Center were invited to attend.
Professor Li Hezhang, President of Shenzhen MSU-BIT University, delivered a welcome speech on behalf of the institution, expressing his gratitude to the attending scholars, experts, and corporate representatives from home and abroad, as well as acknowledging colleagues who have supported the university's academic exchange initiatives. President Li emphasized that digital technology has become a core driver reshaping the global economic landscape, presenting both opportunities and challenges. Exploring governance logic and development pathways in the digital era holds significant importance. He expressed his hope that this conference would facilitate interdisciplinary and cross-regional academic exchanges at the scholarly level, promote deeper integration between universities, research institutions, and industries in practical applications to accelerate the transformation and implementation of digital technological achievements, and provide intellectual support and strategic insights for fostering a more just, inclusive, and efficient global economic order through international collaboration.
First Vice President Ivanchenko of Shenzhen MSU-BIT University acknowledged the efforts made by the Department of Economics in organizing this conference and expressed gratitude to colleagues from Lomonosov Moscow State University and Beijing Institute of Technology for their dedication. He noted that this international symposium would mark an important step in building a united scientific community, contributing Chinese wisdom and Sino-Russian solutions to deepening digital cooperation among countries along the Belt and Road.
Academicians Sergei Afontsev and Alexander Shirov, Corresponding Members of the Russian Academy of Sciences, delivered speeches successively. Professor Sergei Afontsev expressed his deep impression with the successful Sino-Russian academic seminars held over the past two years, noting that these events have provided an important platform and opportunities to strengthen academic exchanges and university-enterprise cooperation between China and Russia. Professor Alexander Shirov also affirmed the significance of this symposium, thanking the academic colleagues and corporate representatives who supported its organization, and extended his best wishes for its success.
This symposium invited Professor Bohui Zhang from The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), Corresponding Members of the Russian Academy of Sciences Professors Sergei Afontsev and Alexander Shirov, Professor Baozhuang Niu from South China University of Technology, and Professor Ben Niu from Shenzhen University to deliver keynote speeches.
In recent years, emerging technologies—from artificial intelligence and blockchain to platform economies and data infrastructure—have increasingly permeated various fields such as production, trade, finance, labor, and governance, disrupting traditional economic structures and reshaping globalization models. To strengthen industry-academia-research collaboration and jointly explore issues related to digital technology and economic development, this symposium also featured an Entrepreneur Forum. Representatives from leading companies that have achieved significant milestones in digital transformation and internationalization—including Edan Instruments, Eve Holding, Kingdee Software, Wanda Group, Weaver Network, ROSH, iUXLabs, and BYD—were invited to share their successful experiences.
The symposium consisted of five sub-forums: "Algorithmic Governance and the Future of Economic Policy," "Data as Capital: Ownership, Access, and Inequality," "Climate Change, Agricultural Sustainability, and Environmental Policy," "Digital Transformation of Monetary and Financial Systems," and "Frontiers in Green Finance and ESG Investment Strategies." Experts and scholars in attendance shared their theoretical and empirical research findings on these topics, engaging in thorough discussions on digital technology and economic development issues.
At the conclusion of the conference, Professor Meng Fanchen, Chinese Director of the Department of Economics at Shenzhen MSU-BIT University, delivered a comprehensive summary of the symposium's outcomes and outlined future research and collaboration directions. This symposium marks the third consecutive year of international academic collaboration jointly organized by the university's Department of Economics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, and Beijing Institute of Technology. It has laid a solid foundation for research cooperation, talent cultivation, and academic resource sharing among the three institutions, while also injecting strong momentum into China-Russia educational and technological collaboration under the Belt and Road framework. Moving forward, the Department of Economics will continue to integrate academic and industry resources, further advancing cooperative research, academic exchanges, and joint talent development between China and Russia—and globally—in related fields. Together, we aim to chart a new vision for a more equitable, inclusive, and sustainable global digital economy.
