On December 28, 2023, the Presidents’ Forum (the ninth lecture) of Liaoning University was successfully held in the Jonathan KS Choi Hall at Puhe Campus. Professor Lin Guijun, former vice president of the University of International Business and Economics, visited Liaoning University as a guest speaker and gave a keynote report entitled ‘Problems and Suggestions for Liaoning's Economic Revitalization’. Professor Yu Miaojie, deputy secretary of the National People's Congress, deputy secretary of the Party Committee and president of Liaoning University, attended the lecture and introduced the keynote speakers. The lecture was chaired by Professor Ma Xiangjun, Vice President of the China Academy of Sciences and Vice Dean of the School of Finance and Trade.

Professor Lin Guijun's report focused on the problems existing in economic development in Liaoning and put forward a series of constructive recommendations. Professor Lin summarized the general situation of Liaoning's economy and pointed out that Liaoning's industrial development is very close to that of Shandong Province. In view of the problems existing in Liaoning Province, he put forward an account based on theories of economic normality, the resource curse, the rust belt, of heavy industry, of state-owned enterprises, and the factors of institutional culture. He concluded that the business environment, labor costs, enterprise scale and efficiency, innovation ability, market consumption capacity, and so on , are the main reasons for the typical characteristics of the middle-income trap in Liaoning Province, and that the problems in Liaoning are also the epitome of China's problems. Next, Professor Lin systematically put forward a series of suggestions: first, the need to make it clear that  manufacturing industry is still the focus of the development of Liaoning Province, that high-end manufacturing should be developed, that the prejudice against heavy industry should be corrected, and that the development of the automobile industry should be continued; second, the need to continue to promote the reform and development of state-owned enterprises and develop medium-sized enterprises; third, the need to make use of the unique resources and temperature advantages to develop the tourism and ice and snow sports industry in Liaoning Province, and promote the development of cultural industries, high-end entertainment, real estate and other related industries; fourth, the need to actively participate in the development of the Arctic shipping route and seize the development opportunities and business opportunities in Northeast Asia. He continued that fifth, it is necessary to pay attention to the development of higher education, improve the level of running schools, and build high-quality research universities and liberal arts colleges; and sixth, it is necessary to develop a market-friendly economy and give full play to the functions of the government. Finally, Professor Lin once again emphasized that Liaoning Province should get rid of the middle-income trap by improving its innovation ability and internationalization, give full play to its own advantages, promote industrial integration, and give full play to the cross-pollination effect, so as to further promote the revitalization of Liaoning's economy. Through his wonderful and vivid language, strategic perspective, and profound and unique views, Professor Lin brought a high-level, broad, in-depth and enthusiastic academic feast to the teachers and students of Liaoning. Professor Liu Wenge, Dean of the School of International Economics and Politics of Liaoning University, commented on the report and supplemented and sublimated the main thrust of the report.

After the presentation, President Yu Miaojie awarded Professor Lin Guijun with the appointment letter of ‘Lifelong Honorary Professor of Liaoning University’ and the commemorative certificate and commemorative plate of the President's Forum, and the representatives of the students from the School of Finance and Trade of Liaoning University presented a bouquet in tribute to Professor Lin Guijun.

More than 300 leaders, teachers, and student representatives from departments including the School of Social Sciences, School of Finance and Trade, School of International Economics and Politics, and Japan Research Institute of Liaoning University, attended the report meeting on site.

Guest Speaker Profile: 

Lin Guijun, former Vice President of the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE), Professor and Doctoral Supervisor. He received his Bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE), Master's degree in Economics from Carleton University (Canada), and Ph.D. degree in Economics from the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE). Professor Lin Guijun’s research field is international trade and foreign exchange policy, and he has a high reputation in domestic and international academic circles. He is one of the earliest scholars at home and abroad to apply quantitative analysis to the study of China's foreign trade policy; his current research includes the economic integration in Asia, China's trade policy model, the global value chain and Asian factories, and the economic and trade relations between China and the U.S. Since 2009, he has been editing the Boao Forum for Asia's ‘Asian economic integration’. Since 2009, he has been the chief editor of Boao Forum Asia Economic Integration. He is now the secretary-general of the National Colleges and Universities International Trade Discipline Collaboration Group, vice president of the China Society of International Trade, vice president of the China Society for International Economic Co-operation, vice president of the Beijing Economics Association, vice president of the American Economics Association, a member of the Social Science Committee of the Ministry of Education, and the editor-in-chief of the Journal of International Trade Issues.