The Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance (SAIF) recently held its Spring Semester Assembly combined with the 2024 Award Ceremony on March 3rd, 2025. The event brought together nearly 150 faculty and staff members to celebrate achievements in talent recruitment, educational innovation, think tank development, and international partnerships, while recognizing outstanding contributors to the institute's mission. CPC SAIF Committee Secretary Xinan Zhang addressed the gathering, with Executive Dean Shijun Cheng delivering concluding remarks.
Recognition of Excellence
The ceremony honored individuals and teams who demonstrated exceptional performance across various domains including admissions, curriculum development, research, operations, ideological education, and alumni services.
The Outstanding Staff Award recognized ten individuals for their exemplary contributions: Wenyun An, Lumin Chen, Guangyu Chi, Xuankai Feng, Yuan Feng, Yan Ren, Si Sun, Mingxia Xu, Jing Yang, and Yage Zhang.
Haiying Ni and Xuefen Chen received the Outstanding Supervisor Award, while the Dean's Office and the Master of Finance Global Ranking Team were acknowledged with the Outstanding Team Award. Lin Yang was presented with the Outstanding Ideological and Political Worker Award.
Honoring Dedication and Loyalty
The ceremony included special recognition for faculty and staff who have demonstrated sustained commitment to SAIF's development. Professors Jun Pan and Yiyao Wang received the 5-Year Service Award, while Nengjiu Ju, Tzu-Kuan Chiu, Tan Wang, and Fei Wu were honored with the 10-Year Professor Service Award.
Fifteen staff members were recognized with 5-Year Staff Service Awards, and seventeen received 10-Year Staff Service Awards for their dedicated service. Yanhua Du received a Special Recognition Award with a Gratitude Card.
Strategic Vision for the Future
In his address, Secretary Xinan Zhang highlighted SAIF's unique position as a "special zone" institution. He emphasized how SAIF has effectively leveraged institutional innovation advantages to build strong foundations in faculty recruitment, curriculum development, talent cultivation, academic research, and think tank initiatives—all with robust support from the Shanghai Municipal Government and Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU).
As 2025 marks the final year of the 14th Five-Year Plan and the beginning of planning for the 15th Five-Year Plan, Secretary Zhang urged SAIF to capitalize on emerging opportunities and intensify efforts toward strengthening China's financial sector, enhancing Shanghai's status as an international financial center, and supporting SJTU's evolution into a world-class university.
Pathway to Continued Growth
Executive Dean Cheng reflected on SAIF's accomplishments throughout 2024, attributing the institute's progress to collective efforts and strategic guidance. He emphasized that China's strategy to strengthen its financial sector, Shanghai's accelerated "Five Centers" development, and SJTU's global benchmarking initiatives all present significant opportunities for SAIF's continued advancement.
To foster high-quality growth, Dean Cheng reaffirmed SAIF's commitment to five enduring principles. The institute will maintain its vision of serving Shanghai and SJTU while establishing itself as a world-class financial institution. It will continue leveraging institutional advantages and globalized education approaches, while upholding its mission to develop premier faculty, exceptional finance talent, an open research platform, and a preeminent think tank. SAIF will maintain its focus on Innovation Finance, Digital Finance, and Sustainable Finance, while advancing its "Three Pillars" framework—talent excellence (Master), innovation leadership (Brain), and infrastructure (Building).
Dean Cheng called on all members of the SAIF community to deepen innovation while remaining grounded in the institute's foundational principles as SAIF embarks on its next chapter of excellence.
