Exploring New Pathways to Modernization in the Era of Global Transformation— The 12th IPP International Conference Successfully Held in Guangzhou
Figure : Conference Venue
On August 23, 2025, the 12th IPP International Conference, entitled Reshaping Modernization: China and the Global South, was held with great success in Guangzhou. The conference convened over a dozen distinguished scholars from across the globe, including from China, the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Indonesia, and Thailand, for in-depth, multidisciplinary dialogues.
Mai Junhong, Vice President of South China University of Technology (SCUT), attended the conference and delivered opening remarks. Professor Zheng Yongnian, Chairman of the IPP Academic Committee and convener of the conference, offered a welcome address.
Figure：Opening Remarks by Mai Junhong, Vice President of South China University of Technology (SCUT)
Figure：Openning Remarks by Professor Zheng Yongnian, Chairman of the IPP Academic Committee
The conference had the privilege of welcoming Jeffrey Sachs, the esteemed economist and Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, to deliver the keynote address. In his presentation, titled The World in 2050: A Quantitative Perspective, Dr. Sachs identified the pivotal challenges facing the world in the coming decades, including the convergence of economics and technology, shifts in military power, ecological crises, the digital revolution, and demographic transformations. He stressed that achieving global sustainable development will necessitate profound transformations in energy, agriculture, and urban systems. Dr. Sachs underscored the importance of enhanced international cooperation, cautioning that insufficient global collaboration would be the primary barrier to the realization of sustainable development goals.
Figure: Keynote Speech by Jeffrey Sachs, Renowned Economist and Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University
The conference focused on several critical issues of global academic concern, with three main themes: Global Development in Transition, Structural Transformation of the World Economy and Global Governance, and China and the Global South in the Era of Multipolarity. Renowned international scholars, including Professor Nikita Sud of the University of Oxford, Senior Economist Mehri Madarshahi of the United Nations, Professor Danny Quah of the National University of Singapore, and Professor Evi Fitriani of the University of Indonesia, analyzed the opportunities and challenges faced by the Global South in the modernization process from perspectives such as global governance, supply chain restructuring, regional cooperation, and historical impact.
Chinese scholars, including Ren Lin, Deputy Director of the Institute of World Economics and Politics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Li Qing, Executive Dean of the Guangdong International Strategic Research Institute at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, and Guo Hai, Executive Dean of IPP, shared their in-depth insights into the risks of international order transformation, the restructuring of global supply chains, and the contemporary global development framework.
Additionally, a roundtable discussion on How Will Changes in Geopolitical Constellations and Global Governance Affect Modernization in China and the Global South? moderated by Dr. Hans d'Orville, former Assistant Director-General for Strategic Planning at UNESCO, provided a platform for exchanging ideas on how diverse modernization experiences could be transformed into a collective force for promoting inclusive development.
Figure : Roundtable Discussion with Attending Scholars
Following the conference, the international delegates, organized by IPP, visited XPENG AEROHT in Guangzhou for an on-site tour, followed by a half-day exchange and discussion with the company’s executives and representatives from institutions such as ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants). During the visit, they observed the operations of China’s innovative enterprises and gained insights into the policy and management practices of the country’s new economic model.
Figure : During the conference, international guests, organized by IPP, visited XPENG AEROHT for an on-site research tour
The annual international conference is a signature academic event for IPP and one of the most influential policy forums in the South China region. Through this prestigious academic platform, IPP continues to facilitate intellectual exchange among global scholars, industry experts, and policymakers, aiming to effectively share the story of Chinese-style modernization, grounded in the unique knowledge system developed through China’s own modernization experience. At the same time, IPP works to integrate Chinese wisdom, Chinese solutions, and Chinese discourse into the evolving global governance framework.
