On September 7, 2026, with the active support of the Sydney Shanghai Business Association and other partners, the Australian University Students’ Study Visit Delegation on Shanghai’s Digital Economy visited East China Normal University (ECNU) for an academic and industry exchange themed “Exploring Innovation and Applications in Shanghai’s Digital Economy.”Faculty and students from the UNSW Business School at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) visited the Shanghai AI-Finance School (SAIFS) of East China Normal University. Professor Yilei Shao, Dean of SAIFS, and Assistant Dean Aocheng Tang attended the visit and welcomed the delegation. The two sides engaged in in-depth discussions and exchanges on the development of Shanghai’s digital economy and related fields.
Founded in 1949, the University of New South Wales is a member of Australia’s Group of Eight (Go8). Its students have maintained a strong interest in China’s economic and social development, particularly in innovative practices in the digital economy, artificial intelligence, and financial technology.
Introduction to the School by Tang Aocheng, Assistant to the Dean
Lecture by Professor Shao Yilei, Dean
Assistant Dean Aocheng Tang gave the visiting faculty and students a detailed introduction to the School’s development history and trajectory, its achievements and key highlights, as well as student life and learning opportunities at ECNU. Professor Yilei Shao, Dean of SAIFS, delivered a lecture on “Silicon Economy: When Intelligence Is No Longer Scarce,” using amphibious evolution, agentic finance, and time as the guiding threads to explore the business, financial, and human value of the Silicon Economy in an age of abundant intelligence.During the lecture, faculty members and students engaged in lively discussions on the current state of AI development, raising questions about GAIFC, the differences between the Carbon Economy and the Silicon Economy, and the development models and future landscape of the Silicon Economy.Together, they reflected on how people can learn, move forward, and live in the age of AI, as well as exploring the nature of the interaction between humans and AI in this process.
Q&A Session
Following the lecture, the faculty and students from the University of New South Wales presented the School with exquisite gifts they had brought from across the ocean, followed by a group photo to commemorate the occasion. Some students also stayed behind for further one-on-one exchanges and discussions with faculty members from the School.
Souvenir Presentation
Group Photo
Resource：Shanghai AI-Finance School，ECNU
