Centre is bridge between finance sector, academics and officials The development of Shanghai as China's emerging financial superstar got a boost when the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) opened an international finance research centre in October. The aim was to bridge government officials, academics and executives in the banking and finance sector as part of an initiative to propel the country's most advanced city into an international financial hub. The CEIBS Lujiazui International Finance Research Centre, a think-tank located in Shanghai's Lujiazui Finance & Trade Zone and overlooking the Bund, will draw together the school's professors and top government officials. These include Wu Xiaoling, deputy governor of the People's Bank of China, and Gao Xiqing, general manager of China Investment, who will exchange ideas and help build consensus on the financial development of Shanghai. The centre will also offer training and development to financial executives in a bid to strengthen the city's talent pool and raise the quality of individuals in the banking and finance sector. 'One of the bottlenecks for Shanghai is the lack of financial talent with international-standard expertise and skills and fluency in English,' said the centre's assistant director Gary Liu. In addition, the centre has launched the CEIBS Lujiazui Finance Salon series, a range of seminars that will feature regular talks by finance experts who will share their knowledge and expertise with executives in the industry. The centre also plans to work with other governmental research departments and academic bodies. Research will be carried out by CEIBS professors and adjunct professors, many of whom are also industry leaders, such as government officials and top executives from leading financial institutions in the country. CEIBS' Lujiazui Centre is the city's first institution of its kind to focus on a plethora of areas, including research, communication, training and consulting. 'CEIBS will leverage its position as an international business school to act as a bridge between academics, officials and the finance circle,' Mr Liu said. 'In our opinion, the development of Shanghai as a financial centre should not only depend on the government. Non-governmental organisations should also play a key role.' One of the centre's biggest hurdles will be the integration of its available resources. 'In essence, the centre is a resource integrator. We need to attract resources from the government, academics, and financial institutions in China and abroad. In order to achieve that, we must ensure our events are of the highest quality,' he added.