On November 6, 2015, the third session of the Beijing Forum, “Social Innovation in Times of Change”, was held at the Diaoyutai State Guest House.
Today’s world is in a decentralized, pluralistic, and in innovative era of change. Social innovation has emerged as a worldwide movement, and has become a frequently debated topic in the last decade. Meanwhile, marketization, informatization, urbanization, and internalization have led China to a critical historical juncture: the deepening of reforms and the push for social transformation. More challenges require more innovations.
This panel focused on “social innovation”, which is closely integrated with the theme of the times. The panel was chaired by Professor Wang Puqu from the School of Government of Peking University (PKU). At the beginning of the meeting, Liu Wei, Executive Vice President of PKU, Cui Xin, Deputy General Secretary of the China Development Research Foundation, Ahn Choongyoung, Chairman of the Korea Joint Development Committee delivered their welcoming remarks and expressed their sincere greetings to the present scholars and guests.
Social innovation is a comprehensive concept, which includes concept innovation, subject innovation, government innovation, enterprise innovation, management innovation and many other aspects of innovation. During the panel, Professor Li Jingpeng from the PKU School of Government delivered a speech entitled “Social Innovation: Connotation and Challenge”. He pointed out that the goal of social innovation was to find a better way to meet people’s expanding social needs and innovation was the eternal topic of society. Then, Yu Jianwei, Secretary of the Interior Division of the Nation People’s Congress, introduced the current situation of China’s charity legislation. Afterwards, Professor Annette Zimmer from University of Munster, Professor Yutaka Tusjinaka from University of Tsukuba, Professor Min-Hsiu Chiang from Chengchi University, Douglas Miller, Chairman of Asian Venture Philanthropy, and Yuan Ruijun, Dean Lilly Charity School of the University of Indiana delivered their speeches.
After the coffee break, Professor Kang Xiaoguang from the Institute of Public Administration of Renmin University and Professor Liu Minquan from the School of Economics of PKU illustrated the value of social enterprise from two dimensions. Professor Kang explored the ethic core of social enterprise from the dimension of Chinese traditional values of justice and benefits. Professor Liu discussed the possibility of social enterprise from methodology level. The reporting session came to an end after professor Yee Jaeyeol gave a speech with the theme of “Inorganized Organization — a Sociological Perspective”.
At the end of the panal, Professor Liu Shiding from PKU, Professor Chen Qiwen from Hong Kong University, and Lu Jingkai from Yifang Foundation expressed their admiration to the speakers and shared their relevant thinking. Some delegates of the meeting raised a few questions during the Q&A session.
Written by: Wang Shan
Edited by: Wei Yuchen
