Recently, a joint inception meeting was successfully held for two major projects of the National Social Science Fund (NSSFC): “Research on the Social Impact and Risk Governance of Big Data, Internet, and Artificial Intelligence Development,” led by Chief Expert Prof. SHI Qian from Tongji SEM, and “Research on Frontier Issues in China’s Global Project Governance for the ‘Belt and Road’ Initiative,” led by Chief Expert Prof. LI Yongkui.

Prof. SHENG Zhaohan, the founding dean of the School of Management & Engineering at Nanjing University, chaired the expert panel for the inception meeting. Panel members included researcher LYU Peng, deputy director of the AI Research Promotion Centre at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; Prof. MENG Tianguang, party secretary of the School of Social Sciences at Tsinghua University; Mr. YANG Haijun, deputy director of the Cyberspace Administration of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee (Shanghai Municipal Cyberspace Administration); researcher YU Jianhua, Director of the Center for European Studies and Researcher at the Institute of International Relations, Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences; Prof. ZENG Saixing from Antai College of Economics & Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University; and Prof. WANG Changfeng from the School of Economics and Management at Beijing University of Posts And Telecommunications. Prof. LIU Shuyan, Director of the Office of Humanities and Social Sciences at Tongji University, hosted the meeting. Prof. LYU Peiming (Executive Vice President of Tongji University) and Prof. XIE En (Dean of Tongji SEM) also attended the meeting and gave speeches. There were over 30 participants present, including principles or representatives of sub-projects from Tongji University, the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation (CAITEC) under the Ministry of Commerce, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Tianjin University, the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, and Shandong University, as well as postdoctoral researchers and graduate students.

Prof. LYU Peiming, Executive Vice President of Tongji University, congratulated the approval of these two projects and expressed gratitude for the support of the experts in his speech. He emphasized the significance of the two projects in responding to major national needs and promoting the transformation of economic and management disciplines. He hoped that the AI risk governance project would conduct forward-looking research by exploring key scenarios in advance and that the ‘Belt and Road’ project would develop an autonomous theoretical system based on Chinese practices.

Prof. XIE En, Dean of Tongij SEM, expressed his sincere appreciation to the experts for their long-term support of SEM’s development. He emphasized two major projects’ leading role in disciplinary transformation, affirming that the school would provide full support and the necessary guarantees.

Chief Expert Prof. SHI Qian systematically elaborated on the research framework, objectives, and implementation pathways of the project “Research on the Social Impacts and Risk Governance of Big Data, Internet, and Artificial Intelligence Development.” The project aims to comprehensively grasp the social operation mechanisms in the digital age, proactively identify the generation and diffusion paths of risks, explore new solutions for digital and intelligent governance, and provide theoretical and policy support for China’s modernization of national governance.

Chief Expert Prof. LI Yongkui, provided a detailed introduction to the research framework, objectives and plan of the project “Research on Frontier Issues in China’s Global Project Governance for the ‘Belt and Road’ Initiative”. This project focuses on summarizing systematically China’s practical experience in global project governance, building a more stable, resilient and open governance system, and contributing cutting-edge theories and policy recommendations to enhance China’s capabilities in international cooperation.

After the project reporting, the expert panel gave meticulous feedback on both projects and provided instructive suggestions for improvement.

It is reported that the successful convening of this joint inception meeting has provided valuable guidance for the smooth progression of the two major projects. The research teams will take on board the experts’ suggestions, integrate problem-, goal- and academic-oriented approaches, conduct researches centered on national strategic needs and make original, pioneering and landmark achievements. This will definitely contribute Tongji’s wisdom to the modernization of national and global project governance.