On Feb 14 and 15, 2019, the Australia-China Trade and Labor Market Forum was successfully held in the Convention Center of Adelaide. The Forum was hosted jointly by the business schools of both the University of South Australia and Beijing Normal University and the Labor Market Research Center of BNU and sponsored by Australia’s Department of foreign relations and trade and the Australia-China Council.

Mr. Nigel Relph, vice President of University of South Australia, Zhang CheWei, director of the Institute of Population and Labor Economics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and China Association of Labor Economics, Professor Carol Kulik, senior professor at the Business School of University of South Australia, Chairman of the American Academy of Management (AOM) and deputy editor of AMJ,as well as other professors, leaders and experts from University of Adelaide, Peking University, University of Foreign Economic Relations and Trade, Sydney University of Science and Technology attended the meeting.

Mr. Nigel Relph, vice President of University of South Australia delivers a speech.

A group photo of attendees.

Mr. Nigel Relph, vice President of the University of South Australia, first made a speech. He welcomed the experts and scholars from Australia and China to Adelaide, reviewed the close cooperation between the University of South Australia and Beijing Normal University in recent years, and particularly thanked the Australian and Chinese teams for their hard work for the successful forum. Afterwards, Professor Lai Desheng delivered a keynote speech. He took the impact of three external shocks on Chinese employment in history as a unique perspective, analyzed the impact of the trade war between China and the United States and proposed counter measures. He pointed out that the impact of a trade war on China's employment has not yet been seen in 2018, but the combined impact of technological innovation and supply-side structural reform may make the employment situation in 2019 even grimmer. However, the current resilience of China's economy, market size and economic size and other favorable factors also give us full confidence. Dai Mi, associate professor of our college, and Dr. Xu Hui and Zhu Min respectively made special reports on Session Two "Globalization and Local Response", Session Four "Employment and Diversity" and Session Six "Gender in Education and Work", which were well received by the participants.

Professor Lai Desheng gives a keynote speech.

Reports on special subjects are elaborated by professors and experts in related fields on the forum.

The organizing committee held two public policy branch sessions: Dr Milton Churche, Australia, a former trade negotiator of Australia, Lachlan Crew, deputy director of Australia's Foreign Relations and Trade Department, and Professor Richard Pomfret at the University of Adelaide has spoken around business opportunities of the Australia-China FTA and its impact on the labor market; Professor Carol Kulik, senior professor at the Business School of the University of South Australia, President of the American Management Association (AOM), associate editor of AMJ, senior development consultant at the University of South Australia, Ms. Justene Knight, and Dr. Min Zhu conducted a discussion and on-site interaction on gender balance in education and the labor market.

Public policy branch session one.

Public policy branch session two.

Professor Zhang Chewei gives a keynote speech on the forum.

Finally, Zhang CheWei delivered a keynote speech around a trade war with China's influence on China's job market. Based on the typical facts and data of both short-term and long-term influence, he made a detailed analysis and basic judgment, and expounds the main characteristics of China's labor market and many of the current appeared new changes and new trends. Professor Andrew Beer, academic dean of the Business School of the University of South Australia made the concluding remarks. He congratulated the success of the forum, pointing out that the all-round cooperation between the two Business Schools of the University of South Australia and Beijing Normal University has produced fruitful results in many aspects, not only benefiting the teachers and students of the two universities, but also forming a broad and positive impact to the universities, government departments and the industry of Australia and China.