From June 19 to 21, 2025, the chapter authors' meeting and promotional activities for the Global Value Chain Development Report 2025 (Report 2025), co-edited by the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE), the World Trade Organization (WTO), Japan's Institute of Developing Economies (IDE-JETRO), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the World Economic Forum (WEF, also known as the Davos Forum), were held in Washington, D.C. The event series was jointly organized by UIBE's Global Value Chain Institute and American University's School of International Service.

Led by Siyan Shen, Executive Dean of the Global Value Chain Institute, the UIBE delegation participated in the chapter authors' meeting and engaged in in-depth discussions with attendees from the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC), the U.S. Department of Commerce (USDOC), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and other international organizations during the Report 2025 presentation. The report garnered widespread attention and high praise from experts in the field, underscoring the growing influence of Chinese academic institutions in global value chain governance research.

 Agenda Encompasses Academic Discussions, Showcases, and Publication Preparations

On June 19, the chapter authors' meeting was chaired by Robert Koopman, Editor-in-Chief of Report 2025, Professor at American University, and Distinguished Professor at UIBE. Over 40 chapter authors from participating institutions and commentators from organizations such as the World Bank and IMF attended. In his opening remarks, Siyan Shen highlighted: "Through the Belt and Road Initiative, China has integrated more than 40 countries into cross-border e-commerce networks, while the RCEP has established the world's most dynamic regional value chain—providing a real-world model for the report's 'inclusive growth' theory." The meeting featured in-depth discussions on eight key chapters, focusing on cutting-edge topics such as the green transition in electric vehicle value chains and the alignment of industrial policies with global rules.

At the promotional event on June 20, Siyan Shen, representing UIBE, delivered the opening speech, providing an overview of Report 2025's key research content and progress from three perspectives: research focus, findings, and future exploration. She emphasized that inclusive growth, green transition, and industrial collaboration are crucial for the development of global value chains.Report 2025 brings together 32 experts from 11 economies, offering in-depth academic analysis on the future of global value chains and their critical domains. Siyan Shen expressed confidence that the report will provide valuable insights for academia, policymakers, and business leaders alike.

On June 20, the editorial committee meeting was co-chaired by Siyan Shen and Robert Koopman. The meeting confirmed that Report 2025 will be simultaneously released offline in Beijing and Geneva in December 2025, with online releases in Tokyo and Manila. Detailed timelines for finalizing each chapter were established.The meeting emphasized that the report will maintain its empirical tradition since 2017, with approximately 45% of data being newly updated iterations. Several new case studies on strategic industries have been added to this edition.

Participation by Research Institute Team Generates Strong International Response

Associate Research Fellows Ran Wang and Wenbo Zhu, along with Dr. Shaopeng Huang and other scholars from the institute, presented chapters on "Global Electric Vehicle Value Chains," "Technological Progress, Productivity Development, Inclusive Growth through GVCs," and "Industrial Policies GVCs," respectively. Their presentations received high praise from attending experts.A representative from the U.S. Department of Commerce remarked, "The report's cross-cutting analysis of geopolitics and green transition provides critical insights for formulating supply chain resilience policies."

Siyan Shen emphasized, "While 80% of global trade relies on value chains, only 20% of SMEs participate—this gap is precisely where Report 2025 aims to drive policy coordination."As a flagship global value chain research initiative led by a Chinese university, the Report 2025 series adopts a "re-globalization" framework. It provides a Chinese solution combining theoretical depth and policy practicality for restructuring global production networks in the post-pandemic era, further solidifying UIBE's international leadership in global value chain research.

       

 Two Institutions Explore Educational Planning and Strategic Collaboration

On June 21, the School of International Service (SIS) at American University and the Global Value Chain Institute of the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE) conducted in-depth discussions on strategic cooperation.Executive Dean Siyan Shen of the Global Value Chain Institute andProfessor Ullman Lee, Vice Dean of the School of International Service at American University, held high-level consultations on "Global Value Chain Discipline Development and Think Tank Collaboration." The two sides engaged in thorough exchanges on joint laboratory construction, academic exchanges and cooperation, talent co-cultivation, and the joint organization of academic forums, reaching preliminary consensus.This face-to-face discussion between representatives of the two institutions represents "a crucial step in the Institute's continued expansion of its internationalization strategy." The exploration of cooperation content and mechanisms marks a new phase for Chinese universities in global value chain governance research—transitioning from academic output to institutionalized collaboration.