Shenzhen Forum 2025: Innovation and AI at the Center of Global Economic Debate | Generative ai models | Google cloud skills boost generative ai | | Turtles AI

On March 30, 2025, the PKU Shenzhen Forum 2025, organized by Peking University HSBC Business School (PHBS), was held at Wuzhou Guest House in Futian District, Shenzhen. The event, titled “Building a Consensus on Reform, Stimulating Innovation,” brought together over 1,000 participants, including academics, policy experts, and industry leaders, to discuss crucial topics related to AI and economic development.

Key points:

• The forum highlighted the importance of reform and innovation as drivers of China’s economic development.
• The need for digital research platforms and interdisciplinary talents to advance scientific discovery through AI was emphasized.
• Current macroeconomic challenges, including dependence on external demand and weak private investment, were discussed.
• The event celebrated the 20th anniversary of PHBS, highlighting two decades of significant contributions to education and research.

Professor Hai Wen, Vice President of the Council of Peking University and Founding Dean of PHBS, opened the forum by emphasizing that reform and innovation have been the cornerstones of China’s development over the past four decades. Professor Zhang Jin, Vice President of Peking University and Chancellor of Shenzhen Graduate School, highlighted the growing importance of AI in science, emphasizing the need to support digital research platforms and develop interdisciplinary talents to promote scientific discovery through AI.

On the macroeconomic front, Li Yang, President of the National Institution for Finance & Development, analyzed China’s stable economic performance at the beginning of the year, but highlighted challenges such as dependence on external demand and weak private investment. He called for proactive fiscal and monetary policies to stimulate domestic consumption and strengthen private investment. Wang Yiming, of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges, emphasized the importance of technological innovation in generating new economic momentum, highlighting the need to strengthen the links between education, research and talent development.

Internationally, Professor Wang Yizhou of Peking University reflected on the value of academic inquiry in adapting to global changes, highlighting the opportunities that come from deeper international engagement and the need for up-to-date perspectives. Lu Mai, former vice president of the China Development Research Foundation, concluded the session with a call to invest in early childhood development, especially in rural areas, noting that long-term prosperity depends on improving care, education and nutrition for the younger generation.

The forum also celebrated the 20th anniversary of PHBS, founded in 2004. Over the past two decades, the school has offered doctoral, specialized master’s, MBA and executive MBA programs, as well as numerous executive development programs, expanding its presence with an overseas campus in Oxfordshire, England. During the ceremony, commemorative awards were presented to prominent experts to honor their significant contributions to PHBS, including Professor Xu Zhihong, former President of Peking University, and Professor Lin Jianhua, also a former President of the university. A highlight was the launch of the trial version of the “Intelligent Information Base of Chinese Enterprises,” an innovative platform that uses ExpertCPT technology to enhance the search and analysis of enterprise information in China.

Through an interdisciplinary approach and diverse perspectives, the PKU Shenzhen Forum continues to serve as a platform for strategic dialogue, marking a further step in PHBS’s ongoing commitment to bringing together academic voices in the fields of economics, technology, and public policy.