On September the 4^th of 2016, the first BNU-AU Capital Business Forum was successfully held in Beijing Normal University Yingdong Building. This forum was mutually organized by the Beijing Normal University (BNU) - Business School and the American University (AU) -Kogod Business School. How does the two capital located business schools take advantage of their regional conveniences to integrate government, research and industry resources in order to promote the multidimensional communication as well ashealthy development of economic & trade relations between China and the USA? The Chinese and American Academic & Industry circlesdeveloped academic dialogues and further communicated on topics such as China-US Economic &Trade Development, Theories and Practice of “One Belt One Road”, Asian Emerging Markets, Innovation Status ofWashington, DC, Innovative Medical Pensions for the Aged and Knowledge Service Industry, etc.

Specially invited guests included Zhou Zuoyu, the Vice President of Beijing Normal University; Jim Dinegar, President& CEO at the Greater Washington Board of Trade; Li Luxia, Beijing Branch Director of the“China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT)”; Tianjin City Nankai District Deputy Chief Zhang Yongqin; leaders and teacher representatives of AU-Kogod Business School; representatives from BNU functional departments such as the Office of International Exchange & Cooperation and the Social Sciences Administration Department; scholars from the BNU Emerging Markets Research Center; leaders and teacher representatives of BNU Business School as well as off-campus political and business guests of China and the USA. Mainstream media such as People’s Daily, Xinhua News Agency, Guangming Daily, Economic Daily, China Education Daily and Chinese Social Sciences Weekly reported this event. The opening ceremony of the BNU-AU Capital Business Forum was hosted by BNU Business School Dean Lai Desheng.

The forum began by BNU Vice President Zhou Zuoyu’sopening speech. Mr. Zhou indicated that “The economic & trade relations between China and the USA is an important component of China-US relations, and gradually becoming an important foundation and driving force of the development of China-US relations.China and the United States can strongly complement each other in different aspects such as natural endowment, human resources, markets, capital and technology.Maintaining and consolidating the good developmenttrend between China and UScorresponds to the common benefit of both countries. Scholars and industries of both countries should enhance broad communication and interaction to promote the healthy development of economic & trade relations between China and the USA. Mr. Zhou also expressed that the first “BNU-AU Capital Business Forum” is a lively demonstration of broader and deeper interaction & communication between China and the US. Based on BNU’s dominant advantages in different aspects such as internationalization and scientific research, this forum is aimed at attracting more universities from capitals of various countries to participate; cover more fields such as culture, education, society and environment; thus becoming a brand activity with high level standards and grand international influences.

Following after was Kogod Business School Dean Erran Carmel’s opening speech. Dean Carmel first thanked Beijing Normal University for its warm invitation and expressed his confidence in further communication and cooperation between both parties. Mr. Carmel then introduced the American University and itsKogod Business School. Established in 1955, Kogodisthefirst and oldest accredited business school in Washington, DC. Mr. Carmel also briefly introduced the American Business Group’sChinese enterprise investigationplans, inviting attendants from various industries of this forum to communicate on relevant affairs and seek mutual development.

For the themed forums, 12 guestswere invited from the Chinese and US government, enterprises and universities to share their knowledge and understating of various industries, topics includedthe China-US Economic & Trade Development, Theories and Practice of “One Belt One Road”, Asian Emerging Markets, Innovation Status of Washington, DC, Innovative Medical Pensions for the Aged and Knowledge Service Industry, etc.

Li Luxia, Beijing Branch Director of the“China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT)” indicated that as a public services organization, the aim of CCPIT is to promote foreign trade, investment as well as economic and technical cooperation. The CCPIT has currently established cooperative relationships with over 170 chambers of commerce from more than 70 countries. The next step of CCPIT is to start with pilot targets, adapt higher standards tocorrespond withinternational investment and trade regulations;continue to extend pilot depth and range, accelerate the basic frame construction of opening service industriesbased on international standards; become more active in solving deep-seated problems with opening service industries in the city; promote the orderly international and domestic free flow; enhance efficient resource allocation and market integration to provide continuous power foreconomic and social development. Ms. Li also expressedher hope ofCCPITand the Trade Commission of Washington, DC could strengthen their communication to enhance the cooperation between Chinese and American entrepreneurs.

Jim Dinegar, President & CEO at the Greater Washington Board of Tradeshared his thoughts on the relationship between a country’s capital city and this city’s economic development: “Does a capital city’s vitality come from economic development? Or is it because that this city is the capital, and that’s what brings about vigorous business development.”

Tianjin City Nankai District Deputy Chief Zhang Yongqin indicated in his speech that “According to the ‘Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region Coordinated Development Planning Outline’, the positioning of this area is a capital centered world-class city cluster, a leading reform area of regional coordinated development, a new engine that drives national innovative economic growth, and a demonstration area of ecological restoration as well as environmental improvement. The positioning of Beijing is the national political, cultural, international communication, scientific & technological innovation center. The positioning of Tianjin is the national leading manufacture & research base, the core northern international shipping area, a demonstration area for financial innovation operation, and a leading area of the reform and opening-up policy. It could be seen that the Chinese government has different positioning for these two cities which are only120 kilometers apart, showinga high degree of regional complementarity.In the future, a Beijing-Tianjin capital district interactive status will be formed.”Mr. Zhang also expressed that the current progresses of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region coordinated development and Beijing-Tianjin mutual development acceleratedthe gathering of creative entrepreneurship elements to the central city area. Nankai district has obvious development advantages in fields such as science & technology, finance andculture. Nankai received powerful policy supports, it has obvious talent advantagesand clear geographical positioning; in the future, as the most active central city area of Tianjin, Nankai district is bound to provide more development opportunities for experts, scholars and entrepreneurs.

Other guest speakers included BNU Business School Professor Zhao Chunming; the BNU Emerging Markets Research Center Director Hu Biliang;AU -Kogod Business School Dean Erran Carmel, Professor Robert Sweeney and Professor ZhaoYijiang; China Small and Medium Enterprises Investment Group CEO Shen Gaohua; Federal ContractingCEO Rebecca Cooper; Liu Tingjun, Vice President of Taikang Insurance Group & CEO of Taikang Community Investment Co. Ltd; as well asLongyuan Digital Media Group Vice President Tang Yang.

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On the closing ceremony, BNU Business School Dean Lai Deshengindicated that the US is the world’s largest economy whereas China comes in the second place, as though the two countries face competition, there’s also more space for complementary cooperation. As two of the most prestigious business schools in the capital of China and the USA, BNU Business School and the AU -Kogod Business School mutually constructed a new communication platform to serve for the economy & trade cooperation between China and US. This is a new beginning, and based on which, communication and connection would be enhanced; mutual understanding would be increased; which would inevitably enhance the cooperation between two countries;thus making unique contributions to the implementation of sustainable, innovative and inclusive growth of both countries as well as the world.

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