On April 25, the Nankai-Birmingham-Glasgow Joint Conference on Green Economy and Sustainable Development was held at the Shiing-Shen Building, Balitai Campus of NKU. Renowned experts and over a hundred young scholars in the fields of economy and environment from China, the UK, and Japan gathered at NKU to jointly explore global sustainable development and deepen academic exchanges and collaboration.

Chen Yulu, President of NKU, attended and addressed the opening ceremony. Anton Muscatelli, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Glasgow, and Jonathan Frampton, Deputy Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Birmingham, delivered video speeches. Yoshinori Shimizu, Former Vice President of Hitotsubashi University, Tong Jiadong, Chair Professor and Director of the Centre for EU Studies of NKU, and Mao Hongjun, Chair Professor of NKU, attended the conference.

In his speech, Chen Yulu extended a warm welcome to the attendees on behalf of NKU and reviewed the history of collaboration among NKU, the University of Glasgow, and the University of Birmingham in areas such as education, scientific research, and talent cultivation. Chen emphasized the severe challenges facing the global ecological environment, which makes the green economy and sustainable development the common concerns and shared goals for all nations. This conference, with a focus on cutting-edge topics such as the green economy, green finance innovation, and fintech empowerment, is both timely and significant. Chen looked forward to the joint efforts and deepened cooperation among the three universities, with the aim of enhancing research in relevant fields and contributing to the sound and sustainable development of humanity and our planet.

Anton Muscatelli highlighted the 17-year cooperation between the University of Glasgow and NKU, which has yielded fruitful academic outcomes in the fields of green economy and sustainable development. He hoped that through this conference, the University of Glasgow, NKU, and other partners will continue to join hands to deepen cooperation for win-win outcomes, in pursuit of a green future for the world.

Jonathan Frampton stated that this conference marks the third joint research event between the University of Birmingham and NKU. It serves as a valuable opportunity for the three universities to enhance exchanges and cooperation. He expressed his hope for the three universities to leverage their complementary advantages through deepened cooperation, thereby contributing to the achievement of a green economy and global sustainable development.

During the event, the attending scholars showcased the latest research outcomes from the three universities on green economy and sustainable development. Scholars including Yoshinori Shimizu, Former Vice President of Hitotsubashi University; David Maddison, Professor of College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham; David Dickinson, Professor of Birmingham Business School, University of Birmingham; Li Junqing, Professor of School of Economics, NKU; Zhu Lingyan, Professor of College of Environmental Science and Engineering, NKU; Ding Sai, Professor of Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow; and Lyu Xueying, Assistant Professor of School of Economics, NKU, delivered keynote speeches on topics such as international economics and trade, environmental regulation, new energy vehicles, carbon emissions, and extreme weather. They are dedicated to providing innovative ideas and collaborative approaches to promote global ecological transformation and achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Tong Jiadong moderated the keynote speech session.

Following the forum, the three universities collaboratively organized the Nankai-Birmingham-Glasgow Collaboration Conference to expand the scope of collaborative research and academic discussions. The experts in attendance engaged in in-depth discussions on the evolution from a green economy to a digital economy and the shift from fundamental research to policy-oriented research. Concurrently, they also discussed expanding joint graduate programs and developing interdisciplinary research collaborations.

The Conference on Green Economy and Sustainable Development is co-organized by NKU, the University of Birmingham, and the University of Glasgow. Hosted by one of the universities each year, it aims to produce high-level research outcomes through interdisciplinary collaboration in areas such as environment and economy, addressing major global needs in relevant fields.