Yigong Shi
President, Westlake University
Former Warner-Lambert/Parke-Davis Professor, Princeton University; former Dean, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University.
Princeton & Beijing · 2025
Princeton China Forum
Collective Future, Shared Prosperity
Two gatherings. A shared conversation.
Across disciplines and borders.
In 2025, the Princeton China Forum convened at Princeton University’s historic McCosh 50 and at Tsinghua University in Beijing. Policymakers, scholars, entrepreneurs, and emerging leaders came together to explore shared global challenges and opportunities for cooperation.
Conversations moved from energy, artificial intelligence, and economics to arts and culture, asking how ideas and shared responsibilities can connect societies across borders—and contribute to a more peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable future.
This page looks back at the 2025 gatherings. The upcoming November 22, 2026 forum is a separate event.
Moments from the forum
2025 Princeton China Forum
Past speakers
Names, affiliations, and biographical descriptions below follow pages 7–8 of the forum brochure. They are not presented as verified positions held at the time of the 2025 gatherings. Theme headings are translated from the brochure.
01
Bridging Ideas and Practice
Ideas become meaningful when they meet practice.
Jianqing Fan
Frederick L. Moore ’18 Professor of Finance, Princeton University
National Academy of Sciences; COPSS Presidents’ Award; Morningside Gold Medal. Former Chair, Princeton Department of Operations Research and Financial Engineering.
Zheng Li
Dean, Institute of Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Tsinghua University
Director, Tsinghua Low-Carbon Energy Laboratory; former Chair, Department of Thermal Engineering, Tsinghua University.
Wei Xiong
John H. Scully ’66 Professor in Finance & Professor of Economics, Princeton University
China Economics Prize; Sun Yefang Financial Innovation Award. Academic Dean, CUHK-Shenzhen School of Management and Economics.
Yanliang Miao
Chief Economist & Executive Head of Research, CICC
Former Chief Economist, State Administration of Foreign Exchange; former Economist, IMF.
Junjie Zhang
Professor, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University
Director, Initiative for Sustainable Investment, Duke Kunshan University. Independent Director, Huatai Securities Asset Management, Changjiang Pension Insurance, and Bank of Guizhou.
Yuanjiang Sun
Head of Office, AIIB Abu Dhabi Hub
AIIB Resident Representative in the UAE; former Deputy Director General, International Relations & Economic Affairs, China Ministry of Commerce.
02
Seeking Meaning and Shared Values
Beyond systems lies the question of meaning.
Stan Lai
Playwright & Theatre Director
Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land; A Dream Like a Dream.
Eugene Y. Wang
Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Professor of Asian Art, Harvard University
Founding Director, Harvard FAS CAMLab; Guggenheim Fellow.
Qiang Dong
Dean, Yenching Academy, Peking University · Boya Distinguished Professor
Grand Prix de la Francophonie, Académie française; Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur.
Jingfang Hao
Writer · Founder, Tongxing Academy
2016 Hugo Award for Best Novelette — Folding Beijing.
03
Finding Common Ground in a Changing World
Understanding the forces that shape our shared world.
Siddharth Chatterjee
CEO, Global Neighbours
Former UN Resident Coordinator in China & Kenya; former Chief of Staff, UN Assistance Mission for Iraq.
James Raymo
Henry Wendt III ’55 Professor of East Asian Studies & Professor of Sociology, Princeton University
Director, Princeton–University of Tokyo Strategic Partnership; Board of Directors, Population Association of America.
Yu Xie
Bert G. Kerstetter ’66 University Professor of Sociology, Princeton University
Director, Paul and Marcia Wythes Center on Contemporary China. National Academy of Sciences; American Academy of Arts and Sciences; Academia Sinica.
Robert H. Socolow
Professor Emeritus, Princeton University
Co-Creator, Stabilization Wedges; Founding Leader, Princeton Carbon Mitigation Initiative. American Academy of Arts and Sciences; John Scott Award; Leo Szilard Lectureship Award.
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