On the afternoon of July 16, 2020, the signing and inauguration ceremony of the Research Institute of Hubei Pilot Free Trade Zone jointly built by China (Hubei) Pilot Free Trade Zone Work Office and Zhongnan University of Economics and Law was grandly held in the Conference Room on the sixth floor of Zhongyuan Building. The inauguration ceremony was attended by a team of 6 leaders, including Chen Huarong, deputy director-general of Hubei Provincial Department of Commerce, Shi Minghui, director of Comprehensive Information Department, Chen Yanjuan, director of Coordination and Guidance Department and Huang Xiaojun, deputy director of Institutional Innovation Department of Hubei Provincial Pilot Free Trade Zone Work Office, as well as Zou Jinwen, vice president of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, Qian Xuefeng, dean of the School of Business Administration, Wang Hualu, Secretary of the Party committee, Zheng Jiaxi, deputy dean and Fei Xianzheng, deputy dean of the School of Business Administration. The inauguration ceremony was presided over by Zhang Jinke, deputy dean of the School of Social Sciences, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law.
Vice President Zou Jinwen first extended a warm welcome to the signing delegation of Hubei Provincial Pilot Free Trade Zone Work Office headed by deputy director-general Chen. He expressed heartfelt thanks to Hubei Provincial Department of Commerce for its long-term support for the development and discipline construction of our university. He pointed out that economics is a practical science, and it is one of the original aspirations and important missions of academic research of universities and scholars to serve the national major strategy and local economic and social development. As a university sponsored by the national “211 Project”, one of the key universities of “985 Project” Advantage Discipline Innovation Platform and Double First-Class University, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law has given full play to the think tank’s function of serving the needs of national and local strategic decision-making, always insisted on combining theory with practice, and carried out teaching and scientific research closely focusing on the major national strategies and local development needs. Under the current economic development background of Hubei, it is undoubtedly of great strategic significance for Hubei Provincial Pilot Free Trade Zone Work Office and Zhongnan University of Economics and Law to jointly build the Research Institute of China (Hubei) Pilot Free Trade Zone.
Deputy director-general Chen Huarong said that today’s inauguration ceremony is of great importance, and it is also an event worth celebrating in the history of free trade zone development in Hubei Province. He fully recognized the active response and work efficiency of the leaders of the School of Business Administration. He also hopes that the Research Institute will contribute the wisdom of scholars to business environment, industrial innovation, institutional innovation and the construction of high-level inland free trade port, so as to vitalize the Hubei's export-oriented economy, improve various systems, make new breakthroughs in industrial innovation, lay a solid foundation for business environment, contribute to the economic and social development of Hubei Province and add Hubei’s power to China’s open economic development.
