Shanghai Forum 2016 Annual Conference opened in Shanghai International Convention Center on May 28th. The theme is " Economic Globalization and the Choice of Asia—Interconnectivity, Integration and Innovation: Building Community of Common Destiny in Asia". Present at the opening ceremony were Tu Guangshao (Executive Vice Mayor of Shanghai), Xu Ningsheng (President of Fudan University), Xu Tao (Director of Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges, Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China), and Chey Tae-Won (Chairman & CEO of SK Group in South Korea). Wei Xiaopeng, Chairman of the University Council of Fudan University, hosted the opening ceremony. More than 700 guests and delegates from think tanks, universities, governments, corporates, media and other institutions all over the world attended the forum.

On the opening ceremony, keynote speeches were delivered by the following guests: Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (former Indonesian President), Dagfinn Høybråten (Secretary-General of the Nordic Council of Ministers and the former chairman of global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization), Derek Aberle (President of Qualcomm Incorporated) , Enrico Letta (former Italian Prime Minister and Dean of College of International Affairs in Sciences Po Paris), and Rosario Marin (41st Treasurer of the United States). The topics included opportunities and challenges of Asia’s further cooperation and development, EU integration and Asian community of common destiny as well as investment and innovation. Park In-kook, Secretary of the Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies (KFAS) presided over this session.

The forum is held in Shanghai from May 28 to May30. In response to the five Development Concepts—"innovation , coordination, green development, opening up, sharing" raised by General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China Xi Jinping, the Forum is divided into four sessions: Integration & Innovation, Coordination & Governance, Green Development and Cooperation & Sharing with a total of 10 round-table conferences, 14 sub-forums on issues about industrial manufacturing, innovation and creativeness, the Belt and Road initiative, air pollution governance , G20 summit , financial innovation, think tank construction, etc. During the three-day conference, delegates will have an in-depth discussion over these topics, and explore issues and challenges during the development of China and the whole Asia from multi-perspectives.

The Forum achieved a breakthrough this year on operational mechanism. It opened up the organizing chances of round-tables and sub-forums to applicants all over the globe, which has received applications from 13 countries and regions, and nearly 50 universities, think tanks, media, enterprises and so forth. The forum has become further globalized and diversified by attracting the participation of Polish Institute of International Studies, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, London School of Economics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, SK Group, the Xinhua News Agency, Phoenix International Think Tanks and other institutions. In particular, it was the first time to host the overseas warm-up roundtables in Copenhagen, Denmark and San Diego respectively with enthusiastic response.

Shanghai Forum is a large international academic forum co-hosted by Fudan University and Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies, and undertaken by Fudan Development Institute. It is aimed at offering policy analysis and advice for regional and national development by establishing a platform for cultural and educational exchanges among Chinese and other countries. Launched in 2005, Shanghai Forum has invited more than 3,000 speakers and it has become a global strategic platform of Fudan University, as well as one of the most influential international academic forums in Shanghai.