Scholars, officials attended the opening ceremony of the Institute for Revitalizing Northeast China  at the forum themed Revitalization of Northeast Under the New Normal in 2015.

Experts, scholars, government officials and entrepreneurs recently gathered for a forum on the revitalization of Northeast China in Jilin, capital of Changchun Province. They analyzed the current opportunities and challenges, then provided suggestions for further development from various perspectives.

In 2015, Northeastern University launched the forum together with its four partner cities: Shenyang and Dalian in Liaoning Province, Harbin in Heilongjiang Province, and Changchun in Jilin Province. Government organizations envisioned that the annual forum would serve as a platform for releasing information and engaging scholars in the regional economy.

In the process of revitalization, universities in Northeast China have led the way. They contribute wisdom on a variety of subjects related to regional economic and social development.

The central government drafted a series of strategic plans to revitalize the old industrial base in October 2015. In this context, Northeastern University took the initiative to establish the Institute for Revitalizing Northeast China in collaboration with the China Institute for Reform and Development. The National Development and Reform Commission became the guiding organization of the new institute in April 2016, making it an intelligent force for boosting revitalization.

The institute has actively strengthened the research capability of universities in Northeast China since May 2016 and set up an open research platform to serve regional revitalization, including research centers targeting provincial development and State-owned economy, whose establishment are based on Jilin University, Liaoning University and Harbin University of Technology.

The university-based platform has made various achievements. Following the lead of the forum, the Institute for Revitalizing Northeast China heeded the advice of participants and called for the establishment of a megaregion of Northeast China to coordinate innovative platforms and excellent resources, thus promoting regional integration. This is a necessary step that Northeast China has to take toward overall revitalization.

Scholars argued that the success of the megaregion requires integration of the plans for different administrative divisions and a regional coordination mechanism. Also, leading enterprises and company headquarters should move to the megaregion, with a focus on new information and technology, to keep pace with technological revolutions and industrial transformation. Digital economy will greatly boost the revitalization through Northeast China’s shift from a heavy-industrial manufacturer to one based on intelligence.

In addition to intelligent support for revitalization, universities in Northeast China have also established a new talent-training system and a platform that combines practice, learning and research, which reserves high-end professionals and innovative technologies. “Universities should aim to serve national strategies and transform industrial structure. It is the responsibility of every scholar to contribute to the comprehensive revitalization of Northeast China,” said Zhao Ji, president of Northeastern University. “We should establish high-end think tanks and become an intelligent engine for the cause,” he added.