On the afternoon of November 6, as an important sideline event of the 9th China International Import Expo (CIIE), the 9th Hongqiao International Economic Forum sub-forum themed "Asia-Pacific Economic Development and Integration: Industrial Cooperation for Shared Prosperity" was held in the Silk Road Hall of the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). International students of the 2025 and 2026 cohorts from Shanghai National Accounting Institute (SNAI) were invited to attend, listening up close to cutting-edge topics on Asia-Pacific regional industrial cooperation and economic development, and experiencing the intellectual pulse of China's high-level opening-up platform.

The year 2026 marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). Since 2023, SNAI has cooperated with UNIDO to carry out the "International Training Program on Industrial Park Leadership" annually for developing countries in the Asia-Pacific and African regions. This continuously deepening cooperation provided a vivid practical footnote for the international students' participation in the Hongqiao Forum.

The sub-forum was co-hosted by UNIDO and the Ministry of Commerce, with about 200 participants attending, including representatives from government, industry, academia, and research sectors of multiple Asia-Pacific countries as well as international organizations. Fatou Haidara, Representative of the UNIDO Director General, noted in her video address that digital and green technologies bring opportunities to the world, but developing countries often face shortages of technology, capacity, and funding, and countries should strengthen international cooperation so that development outcomes are shared by all. She emphasized that South-South and triangular cooperation is continuously strengthening, and that platforms such as the CIIE and the Hongqiao Forum are crucial for promoting trade and investment and international exchanges and cooperation.

For young finance officials from developing countries, this forum was a vivid "international finance practice class." Under the topic of "Industrial Innovation Solutions and Good Practices," guests shared successful cases in areas such as digital trade, green transformation, industrial parks, and SME development; under the topic of "Strengthening Regional Cooperation and Industrial Partnerships," participating representatives held in-depth discussions on cross-border connectivity, industrial and supply chain alignment, regional value chain development, and capacity building. Ebou from the 2025 cohort said: "Discussing regional

value chains in class is completely different from hearing officials from various countries share real cases on site at the Hongqiao Forum. South-South cooperation is not an abstract concept, but a reality that is unfolding."

This visit was also the first off-campus academic activity jointly participated in by the 2025 and 2026 cohorts of international students. From ice-breaking introductions to the Mid-Autumn Garden Party, and now to the Hongqiao Forum, the two cohorts of students have deepened understanding and built rapport through shared experiences. New students of the 2026 cohort also admitted that being able to participate in such a high-level international forum right after enrollment gave them a more concrete perception of "industrial cooperation driving shared prosperity."

On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of UNIDO, SNAI will continue to deepen cooperation with UNIDO in areas such as capacity building for industrial parks, and at the same time, relying on high-level opening-up platforms such as the CIIE and the Hongqiao Forum, create more practical opportunities for international students to step into the front lines of international finance and sense the pulse of China's development, helping them become bridges connecting China and the world.