The opening ceremony for the 2026 incoming class of the School of International Finance at Southwestern University of Finance and Economics (SWUFE) was held on September 22 at the East Hall of Guanghua Building on the Guanghua Campus. The ceremony marked a new chapter in SWUFE’s efforts to cultivate high-caliber international finance professionals under a national pilot initiative in the social sciences. Zhao Jianjun, Secretary of the CPC Committee of SWUFE, attended the ceremony and delivered remarks, while Li Yongqiang, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Committee and President of SWUFE, presided over the ceremony. The School’s first cohort of 120 master’s and doctoral students, along with faculty representatives, attended.
Zhao Jianjun extended warm congratulations on the establishment of the School of International Finance and welcomed the new students on behalf of SWUFE. He noted that finance is one of SWUFE’s strongest academic fields and a defining strength of the university. Against the backdrop of profound changes in the global financial landscape, he said there is an urgent need to cultivate outstanding finance professionals with a strong commitment to the country, a thorough understanding of international rules, and solid professional expertise, enabling them to contribute to building China into a financial powerhouse. He added that the establishment of the School is an important step in strengthening SWUFE’s own capacity to cultivate outstanding finance professionals and respond to national needs by leveraging its strengths in finance.
Focusing on how to translate SWUFE’s strong educational foundation and distinctive strengths into tangible outcomes in talent development, Zhao called on the School to pioneer reform through forward-looking planning, high standards, and high-quality development, and to pursue an independent, innovative, and self-reliant approach to cultivating high-caliber finance professionals. He encouraged faculty members to serve as exemplary mentors and educators, inspiring students through their character and conduct and fostering a commitment to using finance for the public good, serving the people, and contributing to the country. He also encouraged students to become a driving force in building China into a financial powerhouse by developing sound values, strong capabilities, and a broad vision, and by striving to become outstanding professionals capable of making China’s voice heard in global financial governance.
Zhao also called on the School to remain committed to the mission of educating talent for the Party and the country. He encouraged it to build on its strengths in finance with greater courage in reform, a broader international outlook, and stronger educational capabilities, and to develop into a high-level school with a clear mission, broad vision, intellectual depth, distinctive strengths, and vitality. He expressed the hope that the School would develop a “SWUFE approach” to cultivating outstanding finance professionals and train more talent capable of shouldering the responsibility of building China into a financial powerhouse.
Li Yongqiang noted that the School of International Finance responds to national strategic needs and the profound changes of the times, and carries the important mission of cultivating high-level finance professionals with global competitiveness. He encouraged the School to build on SWUFE’s strong academic foundation and distinctive strengths in finance and explore new approaches to cultivating outstanding and innovative talent in international finance. He also encouraged the first cohort of students to make the most of their university years, set high standards for themselves, and strive to take the lead through diligent study, active inquiry, and dedicated practice. He expressed the hope that they would grow into high-level international finance professionals with a strong sense of purpose, a deep understanding of China’s national conditions, a global outlook, and strong practical capabilities, contributing their energy and the strengths of SWUFE to building China into a financial powerhouse and advancing Chinese modernization.
He Zerong, former Director of SWUFE’s Department of International Economics, shared his reflections and encouragement with the new students based on decades of teaching and research in international finance. Zhu Kehan, a faculty representative, and Chen Rui, a student representative, also delivered remarks. They expressed their commitment to aligning their personal development with the university’s progress and broader national strategies, carrying forward the SWUFE spirit through teaching and research, and contributing to building China into a financial powerhouse and promoting the university’s high-quality development.
During the ceremony, Zhou Mingshan, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Committee of SWUFE, Vice President of SWUFE, and Dean of the School of International Finance, interacted with the new students. Representatives from the Southwest Training Institute of China Construction Bank, the Graduate School of SWUFE, and the School of International Finance also attended the ceremony.
In April 2026, the Ministry of Education and the National Financial Regulatory Administration jointly launched a national initiative to develop outstanding finance talent, marking the beginning of the development of “national schools” in the social sciences. SWUFE was among the first six pilot universities nationwide. In May, SWUFE officially established the School of International Finance and partnered with China Construction Bank to explore new approaches to cultivating international finance professionals through industry-education collaboration.
With graduate education at its core, the School has introduced an integrated master’s-doctoral training system and a three-stage model alternating academic study with industry practice: building a solid foundation on campus, gaining hands-on experience in industry, and returning to campus for in-depth research. The School has also developed a “1322” training model that integrates the strengths of SWUFE and China Construction Bank and coordinates domestic and international resources.
Committed to high-quality, substantive, and differentiated development, the School focuses on national priorities, the distinctive needs and strengths of Southwest China, and interdisciplinary, practice-oriented training. It is developing four major platforms for high-level international finance talent development, theoretical and policy innovation, strategic think-tank research on building China into a financial powerhouse, and financial cooperation for the opening-up of Western China. The School aims to produce high-quality and distinctive educational and think-tank outcomes. Looking ahead, it will develop high-level research platforms, flagship forums, and a case database on international finance in practice, with the goal of building a national demonstration platform for high-level finance talent development and an academic innovation hub for global financial governance. Through these efforts, the School will contribute SWUFE’s expertise and strength to building China into a financial powerhouse and advancing Chinese modernization.
