On April 21, 2026, the 27th session of the Bai Qinxian Distinguished Lecture Series was successfully held at the building for the Faculty of Economics, Puhe Campus, Liaoning University. Professor Huang Zhuo, Professor of the National School of Development (NSD), Peking University, Fashu Scholar, Vice Dean of NSD, and Dean of NSD BiMBA Business School, was invited as a keynote speaker. Professor Yu Miaojie, President of Liaoning University, delivered an opening speech. The lecture was chaired by Professor Qiu Huanguang, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Committee and Vice President of Liaoning University.
In his speech, President Yu Miaojie warmly introduced and highly praised Professor Huang Zhuo. He pointed out that Professor Huang has long been engaged in cutting-edge research in financial econometrics, digital finance and AI economics, publishing many high-quality papers in top domestic and international journals, several of which have been selected as ESI highly cited papers, and has won important awards including the Higher Education Outstanding Scientific Research Output Award from the Ministry of Education. Professor Huang has pioneered the three paths of AI-driven economic transformation and profoundly pointed out China’s strategic advantages in application scenarios and a complete industrial system. As the principal investigator of major projects such as the National Natural Science Foundation of China, his research closely focuses on major national needs including digital finance and financial risk prevention, and his achievements have provided key academic support for relevant policy-making. Meanwhile, Professor Huang has made remarkable achievements in talent cultivation, winning the Peking University Teaching Excellence Award, and playing a key leading role in promoting the high-quality development of the Off-Campus Economics Minor Program of the National School of Development, Peking University. With solid theoretical innovation, forward-looking strategic vision and profound dedication to education, Professor Huang is acclaimed as an outstanding representative who stands at the academic frontier and serves national development.
During the lecture, Professor Huang Zhuo, with the theme Innovative Development of China’s Finance: From Digital Finance to AI Finance, introduced the development process of China’s digital finance in innovating inclusive services and moving toward intelligence with the help of digital technologies. He pointed out that China’s digital finance has taken a differentiated development path: different from the global focus on “hard technologies” such as blockchain, China pays more attention to using digital technologies to fill the gaps in traditional financial services and focus on inclusive needs. Technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain and big data have reduced service costs through connectivity and scale effects, alleviated information asymmetry relying on data-driven risk control, provided feasible solutions for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, and formed a unique “Chinese solution”. The penetration rate of mobile payment has reached 93%, with Alipay and WeChat Pay covering over 1 billion users, leading the world. In the credit field, platforms such as MYbank and WeBank provide ultra-fast credit to small and micro groups in the “310” model based on users’ “digital footprints”, realizing sustainable services of inclusive finance. This has also promoted traditional banks to accelerate digital transformation and build a new industrial ecosystem of “competition + empowerment”. Professor Huang finally emphasized that digital finance has now entered a new stage of “intelligence” from the early “digitalization”. Facing this “oncoming” technological wave, both institutions and individuals need to think proactively and make active arrangements to embrace the full arrival of the intelligent finance era.
After the lecture, President Yu Miaojie presented a commemorative certificate to Professor Huang Zhuo.
Professor Huo Weidong, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Economics, Liaoning University, presented a university cap to Professor Huang Zhuo.
Professor Yan Ping from the China Economic Research Institute, Liaoning University, presented a commemorative photo of the lecture to Professor Huang Zhuo.
This lecture was organized by the Department for Social Science Research and the Faculty of Economics, and undertaken by the China Economic Research Institute. More than 80 faculty and student representatives from affiliated units of the Faculty of Economics attended and listened to the lecture.
Brief Introduction of the Keynote Speaker:
Huang Zhuo is Professor of the National School of Development (NSD), Peking University, Fashu Scholar, Vice Dean of NSD, and Dean of NSD BiMBA Business School. He also serves as Executive Deputy Director of the Peking University Digital Finance Research Center, Vice Dean of the Peking University Institute of Computing and Digital Economy, and Associate Editor of China Economic Quarterly. He is a recipient of the Peking University Teaching Excellence Award. Professor Huang obtained his Ph.D. in Economics from Stanford University in 2011 and once won the Best Ph.D. Candidate Thesis Award from the Department of Economics, Stanford University. His research findings have been published in top international journals such as Journal of Econometrics, Journal of Applied Econometrics, Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, Journal of Empirical Finance, Journal of Financial Econometrics, as well as authoritative domestic journals including Economic Research Journal, China Economic Quarterly, Journal of Financial Research and Journal of Management Sciences in China. His published papers have been selected as the top 1% highly cited papers in the field of Economics and Business worldwide (ESI). He received the Richard Stone Prize in Applied Econometrics from the internationally renowned journal Journal of Applied Econometrics in 2014, the Second Prize in the Paper Category of the 7th Higher Education Outstanding Scientific Research Output Award (Humanities and Social Sciences) in 2015, the ICBC Excellent Scholar in Economics Award of Peking University in 2017, the honorary title of “Fashu Scholar” since 2018, and the title of “Outstanding Communist Party Member” of Peking University in 2020. Professor Huang has been awarded research grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Ministry of Education and national high-end think tanks for many times.
