Bruce A. McCarl, a distinguished professor from Texas A&M University (TAMU), visited Southwestern University of Finance and Economics (SWUFE) on October 13th. President Li Yongqiang and Vice President Li Zhisheng met with the guests in the VIP Hall of the Tengxiang Building. The meeting was also attended by heads from the Office of International Exchange and Cooperation, the Finance and Technology Integrated Innovation Platform (Park) of the Digital Economy and Interdisciplinary Science Innovation Institute, the School of Public Administration, and the Carbon Peak and Neutrality Data Development and Energy Security Research Team.
Li Yongqiang extended a warm welcome to Professor Bruce A. McCarl. He provided a detailed introduction to SWUFE's history, discipline establishment, and development strategy, with a particular emphasis on the university's practice and reform endeavors in comprehensively advancing the upgrading of the "New Finance and Economics" strategy. He highlighted that as one of the university's two major integrated innovation platforms, the Finance and Technology Integrated Innovation Platform (Park) of the Digital Economy and Interdisciplinary Science Innovation Institute is committed to addressing bottlenecks in the financial and technological sectors. To this end, the platform has actively engaged in original and leading scientific and technological research, aiming to construct a distinctive financial technology innovation ecosystem. As one of the first teams establishing a foothold on the platform, the Carbon Peak and Neutrality Data Development and Energy Security Research Team has long been focused on the development of a foundational database related to carbon peak and neutrality, dedicated to making contributions to global climate change research. Li Yongqiang voiced his expectations that Professor Bruce A. McCarl may take an active role in nurturing high-standard talents at SWUFE, aiding research teams in generating high-quality research achievements, continuously enhancing SWUFE's international academic influence and reputation, and leveraging his exceptional expertise in the areas of carbon peak and neutrality, as well as economic management, to bring benefits to a greater number of teachers and students at SWUFE.
Professor Bruce A. McCarl conveyed his appreciation for the warm welcome. He noted that he was delighted to see SWUFE's significant emphasis on carbon emissions and climate change-related issues. He noted that SWUFE's promotion of interdisciplinary integration and integrated innovation development can help resolve the complex issue of climate change, and the university's exceptional faculty and research teams can contribute significantly to addressing challenges in global climate change.
After the meeting, Bruce A. McCarl participated in SWUFE's lecture series titled "High-Level Dialogue: Towards Carbon Neutrality" and engaged in discussions and exchanges with the attending scholars.
Professor Bruce A. McCarl is currently a distinguished professor of Agricultural Economics at TAMU. His primary research efforts have involved climate change, water resources, agricultural policies, and optimization theory. His research findings have been published in renowned international journals like Nature, Science, Climate Change, and Nature Communications, totaling over 300 academic papers. Professor Bruce A. McCarl was a distinguished member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that was co-recipient of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.
