Yang Bin: Emerging academic discipline of government and economics enjoys continued resolute support
The following is a summary of Yang Bin's keynote address to attendees at the Fifth Conference of Government and Economics held at Tsinghua University, Beijing, on April 22, 2023. Dr. Yang is the Vice President of Tsinghua University.
On April 27, 2023, the Fifth Annual Conference of Government and Economics, co-hosted by the Society for the Analysis of Government and Economics (SAGE) along with Tsinghua University's School of Social Sciences and the Academic Center for Chinese Economic Practice and Thinking (ACCEPT), was broadcasted online. The Vice President of Tsinghua University, Yang Bin, delivered welcoming remarks to attendees at the conference in a keynote speech.
Yang recounted in his speech that the establishment of social sciences as a branch of learning at Tsinghua University can be traced all the way back to the beginning of the previous century, referring to its brilliant and magnificent history at the university. Over the past hundred years, the establishment and development of modern Chinese social sciences has furthermore made outstanding contributions to China's political, economic and social advancement.
China's social science research is facing new opportunities and challenges at present after entering a new stage in its development. This is making it necessary to pursue new advances in research on the basis of systematically summarizing China's economic and social practice, which can help provide us with better answers to the key questions of relevance to China, the world, its people, and our present times, while also better demonstrating China's own road, aspirations, and principles. Moreover, Yang noted that research related to economics should be carefully studied in the context of the new type of globalization, in addition to responding to major problems facing the development of the international economy and accelerating the formation of a "Tsinghua School" in the field of social sciences.
As regards research in economics, Yang underscored the importance of government and economics as a subject of inquiry. "During the past few years, at the invitation of Director Li Daokui, I have participated in many of the academic activities organized by the Academic Center for Chinese Economic Practice and Thinking at Tsinghua University, with Director Li having since provided the research institute with an excellent name – ACCEPT," he commented. "I have also witnessed the continuous efforts that the institute has devoted to promoting research in government and economics." Since its establishment five years ago, Yang recalled, the research institute has carried out extensive in-depth research and interviews with government departments and enterprises at all levels, systematically summarizing the economic development experience that has been accumulated over the course of more than 70 years since the founding of the People's Republic of China and more than 40 years since the start of the country's period of reforms and opening-up, as well as producing a series of impactful academic research achievements and policy recommendations.
Yang said that Tsinghua University will continue to unswervingly support the development of the discipline of government and economics, and hopes that ACCEPT will seize the opportunity and momentum to carry on promoting its own high-quality and innovative growth, while continuing to carry out comprehensive economic research based on Chinese characteristics and applying practical experience to develop systematic economic theories. In addition, he reiterated the need to continually expand our international perspectives while letting the world objectively understand and recognize the monumental feats that have come to define China's economic development, in this way advancing the study and teaching of world economics and contributing the strengths that both China and Tsinghua have to offer.
