At 8:00 AM on December 29, 2025, the Fifth International Advisory Board conference and College Development Forum of the International Business School was successfully held in the Lecture Hall on the third floor of the International Education Building. The conference adopted a hybrid format, combining online and offline participation, bringing together 13 International Advisory Board members from countries and regions including China, the United States, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore, along with experts and scholars from several renowned domestic universities.

Under the theme "2026-2030 College Development Strategic Plan and the Medium-to-Long Term Development Strategy for the Next Decade," the conference focused on in-depth discussions regarding pathways for high-quality development of business schools in the AI era and new demands arising from China's economic development. The aim was to further consolidate consensus, clarify direction, and promote the college's connotative, distinctive, and international development.

The opening session was chaired by Mr. Si Peifeng, Party Secretary of the College. Ms. Luo Yonghui, Vice Party Secretary of Shaanxi Normal University, delivered the welcome address on behalf of the university, extending a warm welcome to the attending guests. She noted that the International Advisory Board has always worked in concert with the college, pooling wisdom and efforts, playing a crucial think tank role in the formulation of the college's development strategy and its internationalization process. Professor Qi Yudong, Dean of the Business School at Beijing Normal University; Professor Gao Shanxing, member of the State Council's Business Administration Discipline Review Group and Professor at the School of Management, Xi'an Jiaotong University; and Mr. Nie Xinyong, Chairman of Shanghai Zhonghe Investment Management Co., Ltd. and a 1978 alumnus of our university, each delivered addresses, congratulating the convening of the conference and expressing high hopes for the college's future development.

Subsequently, Dean Lei Hongzhen presented the annual work report, systematically summarizing the college's main achievements in 2025 across areas such as international accreditation progress, disciplinary construction, research outcomes, academic exchanges, student development, and future plans, while also outlining the focus for the next phase of work.

The conference was structured in two parts. The first part was the "International Advisory Board (Online Virtual Forum on College Development Strategy)." The second part was the "Expert Symposium on Opportunities and Challenges for the Medium-to-Long Term Development Strategy of Business Schools."

The first part was chaired by Professor LAI Kin Keung, Chair of the IBS International Advisory Board. He expressed gratitude to all board members for their long-standing concern and guidance regarding the college's development and acknowledged the reforms the college had made in teaching and operations in recent years. He also pointed out that the college should maintain confidence in its future development and leverage its unique influence based on its geographical location.

Participating board members who actively offered suggestions and advice on the college's development strategy included: Professor Wei Jiang, Party Secretary and President of Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics; Professor Zhang Wendong, Assistant Professor at the SC Johnson College of Business, Cornell University; Professor Stephen Kelly, Pro Vice-Chancellor of the Business School, Massey University, New Zealand; Professor Yan Liang from the Department of Economics, Willamette University; Professor Shi Shanshan, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Business, Lingnan University, Hong Kong; Professor Tsun-Jui Hsieh, Dean of the College of Management, Providence University, Taiwan; Professor Zhang Jinghua, Assistant Dean of the School of Business, Macau University of Science and Technology; Professor Wang Lihua, Associate Dean of the College of Business, San Francisco State University, USA; Professor Li Yuan, Chair Professor at Antai College of Economics and Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and Distinguished Professor of IBS; Professor Renee B. Kim from Hanyang University, South Korea; and professors representing the University of Wollongong, Australia, and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

The second part was chaired by Dean Lei Hongzhen. Speakers who addressed the topic "Opportunities and Challenges for the Medium-to-Long Term Development Strategy of Business Schools" and engaged in discussions included: Professor Qi Yudong, Dean of the Business School, Beijing Normal University; Professor Gao Shanxing, member of the State Council's Business Administration Discipline Review Group and Professor at the School of Management, Xi'an Jiaotong University; Professor Qian Liping, Associate Dean of the School of Economics and Business Administration, Chongqing University; Professor Guo Hai from the School of Business, Renmin University of China; Professor Yan Jiajia, Director of the Planning and Finance Department and Professor at the School of Economics and Management, Fuzhou University; Professor Hu Enhua from the College of Economics and Management, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics; and Professor Chen Donglin, Dean of the School of Economics, Wuhan University of Technology. They offered forward-looking and constructive suggestions for the college's development and conveyed earnest expectations to the business school students present.

This conference further consolidated consensus on the college's development and clarified the strategic direction for its medium-to-long term development in the AI era. The conference fully leveraged the think tank role of the International Advisory Board, providing crucial support for the college to refine its development plan, advance international accreditation, and enhance its educational quality and global influence.