On the morning of February 27th, the first session of the SAIFS Distinguished Lecture Series was held in the Science Building at the Putuo Campus of ECNU. This lecture invited Prof. Tshilidzi Marwala, Rector of the United Nations University (UNU) and UN Under-Secretary-General, who delivered a speech titled "AI, Sustainable Development, and the Future". The event was hosted by Prof. Yue Hua, the Council Chair of the School of Economics and Management at ECNU.
The First Session of the SAIFS Distinguished Lecture Series
During the lecture, Prof. Tshilidzi Marwala pointed out that AI has become an essential issue in the global governance system. Its widespread application has not only enhanced social production efficiency but also had profound impacts on decision-making at the leadership level, public administration, and sustainable social development. In the meanwhile, the advancement of AI has brought numerous governance challenges, such as insufficient algorithmic transparency, data bias, and privacy protection risks, which may lead to further ethical issues. Therefore, strengthening AI governance has become imperative. He emphasized that building a responsible and sustainable AI governance system requires the collective efforts of global society, including enhancing public awareness and adaptability to AI technologies, promoting industry self-regulation and technological innovation, improving legal frameworks, establishing specialized governance institutions, and strengthening international coordination and cooperation. Furthermore, he encouraged practitioners to strike a balance between technological progress and social responsibility, ensuring that the development of AI aligns with global values of fairness, sustainability, and inclusivity.
Prof. Tshilidzi Marwala delivers keynote speech on "AI, Sustainable Development, and the Future"
Prof. Yue Hua hosts the lecture
Then, during the discussion part, participants lively engaged in an in-depth conversation with Prof. Tshilidzi Marwala on issues such as the construction of an AI-governance framework, ethical challenges in algorithms, international governance collaboration, and the role of the UN in AI-governance.
Prof. Tshilidzi Marwala had a conversation with the students
In summary, Prof. Yue Hua expressed her sincere gratitude to Prof. Tshilidzi Marwala and his insightful lecture, and highly appreciated his outstanding contributions to AI-governance research. She mentioned that AI is profoundly reshaping the landscape of social governance, economic development, and technological innovation, and has become a significant driving force for global transformation. She encouraged everyone to keep pace with the development of the AI era, continuously enhance awareness of technological governance and interdisciplinary collaboration capabilities, and contribute wisdom and strength to a more sustainable future.
Dr. Michael Baldock, Chief of Staff of the UNU Rector’s Office, Dr. Huang Jingbo, Director of UNU Macau, and Mr. Dai Qian, Communications and External Relations Officer at UNU Macau, attended the lecture. Over 100 faculty members and students from the School of Economics and Management, Shanghai AI-Finance School, and other departments joined the lecture.
Before the lecture, Prof. Shao Yilei, Dean of Shanghai AI-Finance School and Director of the "UNU Hub in AI-Finance at ECNU (In preparation)", along with her research team, had discussions with Prof. Tshilidzi Marwala on advancing the preparation and establishment of the UNU Hub and potential collaborative research initiatives. Prof. Shao Yilei mentioned that this partnership will mark a significant step forward in advancing AI technology and sustainable development goals, and the collaboration will leverage the strengths of both parties to continuously promote innovation and the application of AI in the financial sector.
Prof. Tshilidzi Marwala introduced the global academic system of the UNU
Prof. Shao Yilei introduced the development of SAIFS
Prof. Tshilidzi Marwala had discussions with Prof. Shao Yilei along with her research team
During the visit to the FinLLM Lab at SAIFS, Deputy Director Mr. Wang Junlin introduced the school’s global leading financial vertical large language model and the financial “AI analyst Jason”. “AI Jason” can demonstrate vast application potential in areas such as green investment, green bonds, inclusive finance, and inclusive education Mr. Wang introduced.
Group photo in the FinLLM Lab at SAIFS
Sources: Shanghai AI-Finance School, ECNU
