The 2025 Fudan University-Singapore Management University Forum Set to Launch in Shanghai

Shanghai, China Sep 26, 2025 (Issuewire.com) - As the capabilities and reach of AI grow, it is increasingly a societal force that is shaping how we live, work and govern. Now more than just a technological frontier, the rise of AI has brought about opportunities and challenges that demand robust governance frameworks that ensure safety, fairness, accountability, transparency, and ethical use. Besides regulation, the innovation of AI also requires the harnessing of collective knowledge, shared data and open collaboration between stakeholders across sectors and disciplines. Together, AI must be developed and applied in ways that ensure responsibility, inclusion and long-term societal impact helping to advance sustainable development and build resilient societies. This imperative requires global platforms and mechanisms that build trust and align incentives among governments, industry, academia and the larger society.  

Against this backdrop, Fudan University (FDU) and Singapore Management University (SMU) will jointly organise the 2025 FDU-SMU Forum on AI, Digital Governance and Sustainable Societies on 29 September, 2025, at Fudan University, Shanghai, China, as an interdisciplinary and cross-border dialogue at the intersection of AI, digital governance, and sustainable development. Through keynote addresses and panels, the Forum will bring together leading scholars and practitioners to explore the frontiers of AI for digital inclusion, ageing and computational social science, and technology-driven business innovation that supports resilience in the AI era. Both universities will leverage the Forum to generate insights for impactful research collaborations, strengthen cooperation across regions and sectors, and chart pathways towards a more inclusive digital future.

The Forum will commence with opening addresses by Professor CHEN Zhimin, Vice President of FDU, and Professor Lily KONG, President of SMU. Following their remarks, a series of four distinguished keynote presentations will offer diverse perspectives on the Forums central themes. Professor FU Xiaoming,  IEEE Fellow and Member of Academia Europaea; Chair Professor of Computer Science, Institute of Computer Science, University of Goettingen, will examine Social Mobility in Ancient Empires and the Digital Age through a historical lens. Associate Professor ZHU Feida, Associate Dean of SMUs School of Computing and Information Systems and Aptos Move Chair Professor, will explore innovative pathways for Collaborative Intelligence & Tokenised Economy for Sustainable Digital Future. Associate Professor Gilad ABIRI from Peking Universitys School of Transnational Law will delve into the legal framework for Regulating for AI Legitimacy, and Professor LI Qiang from FDUs Institute on Ageing will provide an in-depth analysis of the real-world challenges of Chinas Ageing Population and Digital-Intelligent Elderly Care, drawing on contemporary practices in China.

The second half of the Forum is dedicated to fostering cross-sector dialogue through two dynamic panel discussions. The first, AI x Governance: Co-Evolution, Tensions, and Synergies for Social Good, aims to dissect the complex interplay between AI's technological trajectory and our systems of social governance. The focus then shifts from governance to industry with the second panel, Why AI-Ready Leadership Matters: Rethinking Business, Talent, and Value Creation. This session will bring together economists, computer scientists, and renowned entrepreneurs to collectively explore the profound shifts in business paradigms and the necessary reimagining of leadership driven by technological innovation.

The Forum will culminate with the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement by Professor JIN Li, President of FDU, and Professor Lily KONG, President of SMU to elevate our longstanding ties to strategic level. The centerpiece of the strategic partnership will be a pioneering interdisciplinary joint research programme on Digital Technology and Society, jointly anchored by a virtual global research hub hosted by SMU and a physical laboratory on FDUs campus. This initiative will integrate research, education and community engagement across regions to develop knowledge and solutions to address pressing societal challenges at the intersections of AI, digital governance and urban sustainability.