Distinguished guests at the opening ceremony of Shanghai Forum 2025 in Shanghai on Friday. [Photo by Gao Erqiang/chinadaily.com.cn]

More than 500 guests and representatives from think tanks, universities, governments, businesses, and media organizations hailing from over 50 countries and regions gathered at the Shanghai Forum 2025, which kicked off on Friday.

Focusing on the theme of Age of innovation: technology, development and governance, experts gathered to engage in dialogues and exchanges on global challenges, aiming to explore more inclusive and equitable paths for the development of Asia and the world against the backdrop of unprecedented global changes.

Rick Waters, former US deputy assistant secretary of State and director of Carnegie China, participates in the opening ceremony of Shanghai Forum 2025 in Shanghai on Friday. [Photo by Gao Erqiang/chinadaily.com.cn]

The three-day forum will delve into three main areas: technological progress, sustainable development, and global governance, featuring 15 sub-forums. Topics will range from international competition and cooperation in a globalized context to economic transformations driven by technology, challenges of sustainable development, aging and health strategies, as well as the ethical dilemmas posed by emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.

The event saw the co-sponsorship of 24 international organizations, businesses, universities, and research institutions, including the United Nations Development Programme, SK Group from South Korea, the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London, the Institute for European Policymaking at Bocconi University in Italy, and the Brussels-based Centre for European Policy Studies. This collaboration aimed to foster interdisciplinary, cross-sector, and cross-industry dialogues to provide diverse solutions to core global development issues.

Michael Levitt, 2013 Nobel laureate in chemistry and honorary dean of the Multiscale Research Institute for Complex Systems, Fudan University, participates in the opening ceremony of Shanghai Forum 2025 in Shanghai on Friday. [Photo by Gao Erqiang/chinadaily.com.cn]

Established in 2005, the Shanghai Forum is hosted by Fudan University and Chey Institute for Advanced Studies. Leveraging Fudan University's academic strengths and based in Shanghai, the forum has evolved into a platform where elites from various sectors at home and abroad discuss global hot topics and focus on the development trends worldwide.

Yukio Hatoyama, former prime minister of Japan, gives a keynote speech at the Shanghai Forum 2025 held in Shanghai on Friday. [Photo by Gao Erqiang/chinadaily.com.cn]

Over the past two decades, the forum has attracted altogether more than 12,000 registered participants, with over half coming from overseas, representing over 100 countries and regions. It has established partnerships with over 400 institutions from around the globe, and published more than 200 works.