On November 26, “The Third China Lecture: Experience and Enlightenment of Development of Shenzhen Special Economic Zone” was held online. The main venue of the lecture was located at Shenzhen University. The lecture was hosted by the China-Africa Institute (CAI), Shenzhen University and the Belt and Road Research Institute (Shenzhen) for International Cooperation and Development (BRRI), and co-organized by China Centre for Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Research of Shenzhen University. More than 80 Chinese and African scholars and experts attended the lecture.
Li Qingquan (photographer: Ma Xueqing)
Li Qingquan, president of Shenzhen University, indicated at the opening address that the Shenzhen SEZ is the most successful model of China’s reform and opening-up. In the past four decades, the GDP of the Shenzhen SEZ has grown by 10,000 times, becoming a miracle in the economic history of human beings and creating a number of first-class multinational enterprises, such as Huawei and Tencent. Shenzhen University will enhance academic exchanges and cooperation with African scholars and experts through the “China Lecture”.
Li Xinfeng (photographer: Ma Xueqing)
Li Xinfeng , executive vice-president of the CAI pointed that the four decades of Shenzhen’s transformation from a small finishing village to an international metropolis, a process that needs more than 100 years for international metropolises in other countries, is a great miracle created by the Chinese people in the history of world development. As a masterpiece accomplished by the Chinese people on a blank piece of paper, the success of Shenzhen comprehensively reflects the glorious path and great achievements of China's reform and opening-up.
Tao Yitao (photographer: Ma Xueqing)
Tao Yitao, dean of the BRRI, said that the history of Shenzhen’s growth is not only the development course of a young city, but also the trajectory of a transitional country’s institutional changes, the struggle of a nation in search of prosperity and strength, as well as a unique development path demonstrated by the Chinese people’s hard work to achieve modernization. Shenzhen, with her young development history, has recorded and carried the practice of China’s reform and opening-up for 40 years. the great practice of 40 years is a determination of the goals of China’s reform and opening-up and the future development directions.
Yuan Yiming (photographer: Ma Xueqing)
Yuan Yiming, deputy director of China Center for SEZ Research of Shenzhen University, pointed out that the Shenzhen SEZ was the first of its kind during the earliest period of modern China’s reform, serving as a “window” of China to outside world and a “trial field” of economic reform and creating a new miracle of growth. The experience of Shenzhen can be concluded as government’s actions, wise start of innovation in international production division of industry, skillfully integrating and utilizing of innovation resources, priority to develop high-tech industry, and developing innovative capability with full participation of enterprise.
Staiva Thewo (photographer: Ma Xueqing)
Staiva Thewo, a Zambian young scholar expressed his impression on Shenzhen based on his 4 years’ university life in Shenzhen University. He thought that the success of Shenzhen was achieved through a strong common purpose weaved by a common language. So it is not by chance that Shenzhen has become a world class city. Many countries especially in the developing world, such as his country Zambia needs to learn for example how science and technology has been used in Shenzhen's devolvement.
The main venue of the lecture at Shenzhen University (photographer: Ma Xueqing)
Screen shot of some African and Chinese scholars online(photographer: Ma Xueqing)
“China Lecture” is one of the brand projects initiated by the CAI, which aims to invite relevant Chinese scholars, experts and African scholars in the field of Chinese studies to tell Chinese stories, Chinese experience and lessons to Africa.