The 24th annual conference of the “Socialist Economic Theory and Practice Seminar of Colleges in China” under the Ministry of Education was held at Tsinghua SEM.

It is the first time the conference is hosted by Tsinghua University. SEM was chosen by the administrative group of the seminar to be the venue of this year’s conference.

Leading administrative figures at the conference

The “Socialist Economic Theory and Practice Seminar of Colleges in China” was initiated in 1986 by the Ministry of Education for the study of economic situations after the Reform and Opening up. Participants of the annual conferences include both senior scholars and outstanding young talents in theoretical economics. Each year the conference would discuss major theoretical and practical issues in China’s economic development, signifying the highest level of scholarly attainment in theoretical economics among Chinese colleges.

HU Heping, Chairman of Tsinghua University Council

The 2010 annual conference was organized by the National Center for Economic Research. Over 150 scholars and college administrators were present at the conference.

Dean QIAN Yingyi introduced the economic disciplines development of SEM at the opening ceremony. HU Heping, Chairman of Tsinghua University Council, and ZHANG Donggang, Deputy Director-General of the Social Science Department under the Ministry of Education, also delivered opening speeches.

Professor HONG Yinxing of Nanjing University, team leader of the administrative team of the conference

Dean QIAN Yingyi also hosted two discussion sessions during the conference, the first a discussion on the educational reform and research topics of theoretical economics among 41 deans and associate deans of business schools in China, the second concerning the discipline development of theoretical economics specifically at SEM, participants including members of the administrative group of the conference, and twelve deans from business schools of Peking Universiity, Renmin University of China, Nanjing University, Fudan University, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics and others.

ZHANG Donggang, Deputy Director-General of the Social Science Department under the Ministry of Education

The conference touched on a number of critical issues in contemporary Chinese economy. Amongst all, BAI Chong-en, Associate Dean of SEM presented a report named “Residential Income and the Distribution Pattern.

The conference began calling for papers at the beginning of April 2010 and collected 159 papers at the end of July, 98 out of which were finally selected.

Dean QIAN Yingyi of Tsinghua SEM