On March 25, 2023, the International Symposium on Sino-Japanese Enterprise Cooperation for Sustainable Development was held at Jilin University. The event was hosted by the Northeast Asian Studies College of Jilin University, the Northeast Asian Research Center of Jilin University, the Institute of Japanese Studies of Jilin University and the Editorial Department of Contemporary Economy of Japan, and co-organized by the Graduate Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies of Japan. The meeting was held in a hybrid online–offline format, with more than 20 Chinese and Japanese experts and scholars participating in presentations and discussions.
Wang Yanjun, Vice Dean of the Northeast Asian Studies College of Jilin University, presided over the opening ceremony. Professor Wu Hao, Dean of the Northeast Asian Studies College of Jilin University, stated in his opening address that he hoped this international symposium would enable experts and scholars from the Graduate Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies of Japan to jointly explore feasible pathways for cooperation and innovation, and contribute to further strengthening innovative cooperation between Chinese and Japanese enterprises in economic, social and environmental fields and promoting mutual prosperity of the two countries. Professor Eiko Tomiyama, Vice President of the Graduate Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies of Japan, noted in her opening speech that in the face of numerous social challenges including environmental issues, implementing sustainable corporate management has become the most critical issue of our era. She expressed the hope that the symposium would encourage research exchanges on these issues and advance further cooperative research between the two sides.
In the keynote speech session, Professor Pang Deliang, Director of the Institute of Japanese Studies of Jilin University, and Professor Koichi Karaki, Vice President of Graduate Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies, delivered keynote speeches titled "Opportunities and Challenges Facing China-Japan Economic Relations in the Post-Pandemic Era" and "Overview of GIES Research on Sustainable Development Goals and the Underlying Logic of Sustainable Investment" respectively.
The symposium was divided into two thematic sessions. In the session "Current Status and Trends of SDGs Promotion by Chinese and Japanese Enterprises", Japanese scholar Professor Eiko Tomiyama introduced the sustainable development management of automobile manufacturers based on research on changes in ESG requirements for suppliers of Honda and BMW. Lecturer Jin Honghua focused on the BSC as a sustainable development management control system, based on KPI management aligned with SDGs and integrated reports. Associate Professor Yuya Suzuki presented SDGs and Japan's taxation system. On the Chinese side, Associate Professor Li Hongmei shared the practices and challenges of sustainable development of Chinese enterprises in the context of ESG investment; Lecturer Ren Weitong introduced the current status and trends of financial support for China's sustainable development goals; Associate Professor Xuan Chunji elaborated on China's targeted poverty alleviation policy and its effects.
In the session "Exploring Innovative Paths for Sino-Japanese Sustainable Development Cooperation", Japanese scholar Professor Nobuyuki Kishida introduced function-oriented SDG-aligned product development, taking plant-derived resin eyeglass frames as an example. Professor Akira Otsuka presented research findings on environment-friendly manufacturing processes in China. Professor Hitoshi Sugimoto shared successful cases of building regional sustainable societies through ICT. On the Chinese side, Associate Professor Xu Bo reviewed and looked ahead to cooperation in the electronic information industry between China and Japan; Associate Professor Chen Zhiguo reviewed and prospected cooperation in the environmental industry between the two countries; Dr. Jiang Zuo offered insights into the evolution of corporate social responsibility and its role in achieving sustainable development goals.
Finally, Professor Pang Deliang and Professor Chen Zhiheng respectively summarized the speeches and discussions of the two thematic sessions and expressed expectations for further cooperation in the future. Professor Koichi Karaki, Vice President of the Graduate Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies, and Professor Cui Jian, Vice Dean of the Northeast Asian Studies College of Jilin University, paid tribute to and expressed gratitude in their closing remarks for the scholars from both universities for their efforts in research in sustainable development. They jointly hoped that taking this conference as an opportunity, the two sides would further carry out cooperation and deepen research on sustainable development goals, so as to make greater contributions to strengthening people-to-people academic exchanges between China and Japan.
Through the one-day international symposium, experts and scholars from China and Japan exchanged research outcomes on the theme of “sustainable development of Chinese and Japanese enterprises” and discussed innovative cooperation between the two countries' enterprises in economic, social and environmental fields, providing strong intellectual support for advancing the sustainable development and cooperation of Sino-Japanese enterprises.
