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On July 3rd, the signing ceremony for the strategic cooperation agreement between the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone Lin-gang Special Area Management Committee and the Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance (SAIF) at Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) was held at SAIF. Zhisong Zhu (Secretary of Party Working Committee at Lin-gang Special Area), Zhenbin Yang (Secretary of Party Committee at SJTU, Vice Chairman of the SAIF Board), and Shaoguang Tu (Adjunct Professor at SJTU and Executive Director of the SAIF Board) delivered speeches during the ceremony. Guohua Yuan (Chairman of Lin-gang Group) and Professor Chun Chang (Executive Dean, Professor of Finance and Huifu Chair Professor at SAIF) signed the strategic cooperation agreement on behalf of each side. The ceremony was presided over by Professor Qigui Zhu (Secretary of the Party Committee at SAIF). Management teams from both sides also attended the ceremony. Professor Zhenbin Yang emphasized in his speech that after 125 years of hard work, Shanghai Jiao Tong University has now become one of the most well-known universities in China and is now becoming also more widely known around the world. SJTU has always been in sync with the spirit of "reform, opening up, and innovation"that is found in the Lin-gang Special Area. The agreement symbolizes significant progress in cooperation between SAIF and the Lin-gang Special Area. At the end, Professor Yang expressed his congratulations and hoped that both sides would mutually benefit and that they would create a better future together. Zhisong Zhu said, "Financial development will play an essential role in the construction of a modern and open industrial system in the Lin-gang Special Area. In recent years, SAIF has made outstanding contributions to China's financial development, especially in providing talent and think tanks. Therefore, the strategic cooperation between SAIF and the Lin-gang Special Area was highly expected by the government." Professor Tu affirmed the significance of strategic cooperation in his speech as well. "The cooperation is a result of both the national and the SJTU strategic plan, and it also helps SAIF's self-development," Tu said. Moreover, he pointed out that the signing of the agreement was just the beginning. SAIF will continuously provide talent and intellectual support for the financial innovation development of the Lin-gang Special Area and the reform of China's financial system via its development. According to the agreement, both sides will cooperate comprehensively in research, advanced training, and holding forums. Both stakeholders will also make joint efforts to promote the development of the Lin-gang Special Area and to build Shanghai into an international financial center.

On July 3rd, the 2021 SAIF Commencement Ceremony was held in the auditorium at the Xuhui Campus of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU). This year's event featured remarks from Qing Wu (Vice Mayor of Shanghai, Chairman of the SAIF Board) and Zhenbin Yang (Chairperson of the SJTU University Council, Vice Chairman of SAIF Board). The ceremony was also broadcast live to enable graduates and professors overseas to participate virtually. In his opening remarks, Professor Zhenbin Yang praised the remarkable achievements SAIF had made in recent years. "SAIF has effectively promoted SJTU's "First-class universities and disciplines of the world" construction and provided both talents and think tanks for the development of the Shanghai International Financial Center and the Global Science and Technology Innovation Center,"Professor Yang said. "In your new life journal, be perseverant, be honest, progress with foresight, and always strive for the prosperity of our nation," he remarked to the graduates. Vice mayor Qing Wu, in his speech, gave his best wishes to the graduates. He inspired all graduates to contribute greater efforts toward their future careers. In 2021, a total of 405 MF, MBA, EMBA, GES, and PhD students were awarded their degrees by SAIF. Included among them are the first class of Fintech Track graduates from SAIF’s flagship MF program. The Fintech graduates are heavily favored by the market; each student completes two years of systematic courses in finance, statistics, machine learning, and computer skills. The data provided by the SAIF Career Development Center shows that the placement rate of Fintech graduates is 100% and that half of them received more than three job offers. Meanwhile, the placement rate of MF General Track graduates was also 100% in 2021. Secondary market investment and research, sales and trading, consulting and investment banking are the main job functions for this year's MF graduates. By the end of June, the placement rate of 2021 full-time MBA graduates had reached nearly 95%. The top two industries they entered were asset management and investment banking or consulting (security/financial). During the ceremony, nineteen 2020 graduates and sixteen 2021 graduates received the "Shanghai Outstanding Graduate" award. Thirty-three 2020 graduates and thirty 2021 graduates received the "SJTU Outstanding Graduate"award. Shuwang Yan, a graduate representative from the EMBA program delivered an extraordinary graduation speech in which he reflected upon his own learning experience and expressed gratitude to SAIF. Three graduate donor representatives: Hong Zhu from GES 7, Hao Zhang from EMBA 2016, and Weiman Tang from MF 2019 accepted the graduation donation certificates. To encourage students with remarkable achievements, all funds from the donations will be granted as scholarships to SAIF MBA and MF students. At the ceremony, Jianjun Wang (Executive President of the Alumni Association at SAIF) warmly welcomed all graduates to join the SAIF Alumni Association. Together with the 2021 graduates, the 2020 graduates were also invited to join the commencement, which was canceled last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Professor Chun Chang, Professor Qigui Zhu, Professor Hong Yan, and Professor Feng Li awarded the graduation certificates to both 2020 and 2021 graduates and took photos with them. At present, SAIF has produced over 5000 graduates, all of whom now contribute to the progress of China's finance industry.

On June 25, 2021, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) Board of Directors officially informed the Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance (SAIF) that its accreditation had been extended for an additional five years. SAIF first earned its AACSB accreditation in 2016 and became one of the youngest accredited business schools in the world. International AACSB accredited institutions must complete an intensive peer-review process every five years to ensure continued compliance with evolving business education standards. From May 9th to May 11th, an AACSB Peer Review Team (PRT) conducted a virtual continuous improvement review on SAIF. The PRT was chaired by Professor Kalok Chan (Former Dean of the School of Business, Chairman of the Department of Finance, the Chinese University of Hong Kong), with Professor Wei-Chi Tsai (Dean, School of Business, National Chengchi University) and Professor Chae-Yeol Yang (Dean, School of Business Administration, Chonnam National University) as members. After a series of online interviews and conversations with SAIF stakeholders (including the management team, faculty, staff, students, alumni, as well as representatives of donors and employers), the PRT completed its comprehensive evaluation on SAIF's development during the past five years. These included its development strategies and goals, faculty management, intellectual contributions, educational programs, curriculum management, allocation of resources, and other aspects. After the review, the PRT applauded the outstanding achievements made by SAIF over the past five years. "SAIF has an open, friendly, and collegial culture. The school offers high-quality courses and provides students with a strong theoretical foundation, international perspectives, and local insights. Meanwhile, SAIF is quite responsive to market needs; for example, it comes up with the Fintech track for the MF program, and the Innovation Finance track for the EMBA program. In addition, its Chinese Academy of Financial Research (CAFR) fulfills an important mission of policy research and applied research, and creates research impact that can influence policy making,"stated Professor Kalok Chan, on behalf of the PRT. "Modeled after leading business schools in the world, SAIF obtained its initial AACSB accreditation only six years since its inception. The successful re-accreditation this year undoubtedly marks the recognition of our achievements in the past 12 years by the international peers. With our world-class faculty, innovative research, and leading curricula, SAIF will continue to provide finance education to the highest standards, endeavor to fulfill its mission to be a world-class institution, and make greater contributions to the financial industry development both in China and globally,"said Professor Chun Chang, SAIF Executive Dean.

Shanghai Ranking Consultancy introduced the Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (GRAS) 2021 on May 26, 2021. Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) and Tsinghua University ranked 1st and 2nd among mainland Chinese universities in Finance. In terms of the specific evaluation of academic indicators in Finance, SJTU ranked 1st among mainland Chinese universities with the weighted number of papers published in top journals scoring at 56.8, the average impact of papers published scoring at 81.8, and the percentage of internationally cooperative papers published scoring at 82.3. Shanghai Ranking Consultancy is a top-class organization dedicating to research on higher education intelligence and consultation. It has been the official publisher of the Academic Ranking of World Universities since 2009, and its Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (GRAS) contains rankings of universities in 54 subjects. In 2021, more than 1,800 out of 4,000 universities across 93 countries and regions were listed among its rankings. GRAS rankings use a range of objective academic indicators to measure the performance of world universities in respective subjects, including: papers published, research influence, international collaboration, research quality, and international academic awards. Compared with last year, the number of universities in mainland China on the list (and the total number of their listed subjects) significantly increased by 7.5% and 11.3%, respectively, this year. In 2021, SJTU ranked among the world's top 10 in 6 subjects, with more than 40 subjects on the list in total; it ranks 1st in Marine/Ocean Engineering.

On April 17, 2021, an appreciation ceremony for the 3rd anniversary of the establishment of the Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance (SAIF) Donation Wall was held at the Xuhui Campus at Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU). Professor Guangshao Tu (Adjunct Professor at SJTU and Executive Director at SAIF) and Professor Chun Chang (Executive Dean, Professor of Finance and Huifu Chair Professor at SAIF) delivered welcome speeches. At the beginning of the ceremony, Professor Jie Pan (Vice Dean at SAIF) introduced the history of the SAIF Donation Wall to the donors and alumni. In April 2018, in recognition of the contributions to the development of SAIF made by donors, the SAIF Donor Wall was officially established in the south hall at SAIF at Xuhui Campus. At present, 100 individuals, 14 classes, and 19 enterprises have been listed on the wall. Many of them have made multiple donations, which fully reflects the SAIF donation culture — "Be thankful for mutual benefits". In April 2019, SAIF ran a special donation program called "Step By Step" to celebrate its 10th anniversary of establishment. Professor Chang said in his speech that SAIF donors demonstrate the "Gratitude"spirit of both SJTU and the International Business School, which is one of the most precious assets of SAIF since its establishment twelve years ago. He hoped that with the spirit of SJTU and the power of SAIF, donors and SAIF would continue to be of benefit to each other. As a representative donor of the "Step By Step”program, Professor Tu said that the development of SAIF was inseparable from the care and support of all kinds of shareholders, with special recognition being given to the donors. Through the program, Professor Tu jointly established the "SAIF Qinglan Fund" with several professors. He hoped that these programs and funds would promote young scholars to collaborate in their efforts with teaching and research to build SAIF into a world-class financial school.

On January 29th, 2021, the Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance (SAIF) held the 2020 Year-End Meeting & Award Ceremony. Professor Kuiling Ding, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Committee and Executive Vice President of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU); Professor Guangshao Tu, Adjunct Professor at SJTU and Executive Director of SAIF and Professor Jiang Wang, Executive Director and Chair of Academic Council at SAIF delivered speeches, followed by an annual report by Professor Chun Chang, Executive Dean and Huifu Chair Professor at SAIF. Nearly 200 faculty and staff members were in attendance. During his speech, Professor Kuiling Ding congratulated SAIF on its achievements in the “extraordinary year” of 2020, under the great impact of COVID-19 outbreak. He also pointed out that the next decade will be a critical period for SJTU to solidify its position at the forefront of leading universities and for SAIF to build itself into a world-class financial school. He hoped that SAIF faculty and staff would make a joint effort to kick off the upcoming new year and to develop SAIF into one of the SJTU’s best brands. Professor Guangshao Tu delivered a speech on the theme of “Farewell to the Old and Welcome to the New”, in which he summed up the past and looked forward to the future with three key words: “celebration”, “appreciation”, and “blessing”. Professor Chun Chang reviewed the overall development of SAIF in 2020, including organizational structure, faculty pooling, human resources development, academic research, policy think tank and partnerships. An award ceremony was followed on which several individuals and teams were rewarded for their outstanding performances during the past year.

Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance (SAIF) at Shanghai Jiao Tong University recently released the Full-time Financial MBA (FMBA) Employment Report, which shows that 93% of SAIF FMBA graduates had achieved their career transformation/promotion in the financial sector. The median salary has increased by nearly 90% as compared with salaries before enrollment. As China's first financial MBA program, over the years, SAIF FMBA Program has been highly recognized by industry for its world-leading financial education system and outstanding teaching. Graduates have continued to gain great favor from financial institutions. This year, 42 FMBA graduates had an average starting salary of RMB 288,000, up 72% over figures before enrollment, with the median being RMB 280,000 (an increase of 87% over figures before matriculation). Aimed at fostering industry leaders with modern financial expertise, SAIF FMBA Program is committed to training a community of financial talent with local influence and international competitiveness. Entrepreneurs and professional managers with an industry background, a financial mindset, and an innovative spirit are also welcomed to join. Statistics shows that in this intake, 45.24% of the FMBA graduates came from the financial sector and 54.76% came from non-financial industries before joining SAIF. After two years of systematic education and training through the SAIF FMBA Program, the students have been enriched and strengthened in terms of professionalism, skills, and global outlook. Upon graduation, 93% of them have successfully realized career transformation or job promotion in the financial sector, or have been hired by industry-leading employers. Asset managers employ 50% of our graduates, of which 32.5% are engaged in primary markets such as asset management-private equity/venture capital. Employers include a number of well-known institutions in the industry, including: Hillhouse Capital, Panda Capital, Bank of Communications International, and Shanghai Science Venture Capital (Group) Co., Ltd. Investment banks, securities companies, and financial advisors employed 42.5% of our graduates. Most of the employers are reputable investment banks and leading securities firms, including: China International Finance Corporation Limited, CITIC Securities, Guotai Junan Securities, and Shenyin Wanguo Securities. In addition, the "Finance +" multidisciplinary quality of FMBA graduates has been gradually recognized and favored by the market. Some graduates have even entered into a “fast track” to professional promotion by participation in management trainee programs with such companies as the China Resources Group and Thermo Fisher Scientific - SA. Investment and research positions are most popular among for this year's SAIF FMBA graduates, accounting for 60% of the total. In addition, sales/trading and investment banking represent 22.5% and 10%, respectively. Of the investment and research posts, 37.5% are engaged in primary market investment and research, while 22.5% are engaged in secondary market investment and research. Of the sales/trading posts, 15% are engaged in sales and 7.5% are engaged in trading.

The latest 2020 China Rising Affluent Financial Well-being Index reveals that the COVID-19 outbreak has prompted China's rising affluent population to attach more importance to financial planning and diversified investment. Asset management fragility of the rising affluent class shows the need for improving financial literacy and consolidating foundations of wealth management. Meanwhile, the investment advisory model (combining offline consultants with digital platforms) helps to comprehensively upgrade their financial well-being. On November 27th, 2020, both the Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance (SAIF) at Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Charles Schwab jointly released the 4th issue of the China Rising Affluent Financial Well-being Index. The index tracks the changing perception of wealth among China's rising affluent population, a group that has a growing influence on the Chinese and global economies. The latest data in 2020 show that, despite the impact of COVID-19, the financial outlook of China’s rising affluent population is still optimistic. Many rising affluent individuals have gradually realized the importance of financial planning and diversified investment, and have actively formulated financial plans and optimized asset allocation. Therefore, this group's preference for various investment advisory services has increased significantly. However, the financial management of many rising affluent individuals still shows deficiencies — mainly manifested in their inability to repay debts as scheduled. To this end, financial service providers should take the initiative to carry out investor education, guide them in order to properly cope with challenges, and optimally manage their wealth. The 4th issue of the Index focused on the changes in financial well-being and investment behaviors of the rising affluent population in China under COVID-19 pandemic. The survey interviewed more than 4,300 rising affluent individuals with annual incomes of RMB 125,000 to RMB 1,000,000 and with investable assets of less than RMB 7,000,000. The 15 cities covered in China include: Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Dalian, Xiamen, Chongqing, Wuhan, Nantong, Shijiazhuang, Zhongshan, Kunming and Xiangyang. The questionnaire consist of 65 questions involving core issues related to index modeling. Initiated by SAIF and Charles Schwab, the China Rising Affluent Financial Well-being Index is now being carried out by Nielsen, an international monitoring and data analysis company. The 2020 Index helps financial professionals to better understand and explore the investment behaviors of China's rising affluent population in order to provide more services tailored for this group — which is of extreme importance to the Chinese and global economies.

Between November 19th and 22nd, the public welfare initiative of the Financial Media Program 2020 was successfully held. It provides short-term, specialized, and customized training for leading financial media professionals. After several rounds of selection, dozens of senior executives, editors and reporters (from top-notch financial media across China) enrolled in the 2nd Intake of the Program and spent three days at the SAIF Shanghai Campus. On the evening of November 19th, the Opening Ceremony and Dean's Night of Financial Media Program 2020 were held. Professor Qigui Zhu, Secretary of the Party Committee of SAIF, expressed a warm welcome on behalf of SAIF to the participants in the 2nd Intake of the Program. He pointed out that SAIF Financial Media Program brings together senior executives and journalists in the financial media community. The program imparts financial thinking, improves financial skills, and promotes the vigorous development of China's financial sector through a short-term (yet intensive) study journey guided by experts and scholars. Afterwards, the first session was delivered by Professor Chun Chang (Professor of Finance, Executive Dean and Huifu Chair Professor of SAIF), who reviewed the evolution of modern FinTech and delineated the prospect of "Finance in the Digital Age" for media professionals. Daojun Wang (Editor-in-Chief of Blue Whale Finance and representative of Intake 2 graduates), shared his experience with his peers. The three-day Program officially began on November 20th. The Program concluded with presentations of participants based upon their three-day journey which brought the 2nd intake of the Program to a successful end. In spite of the high concentration, density, and precision of the Program, many media participants looked forward to more such opportunities in the future. They enjoyed listening to the interpretation and analysis of SAIF faculty, exchanging views with other media peers, broadening their horizons and vision, and enhancing their capability.

On the afternoon of November 22nd, the 1st Chongqing Future Finance Roundtable and the unveiling ceremony of Chongqing Advanced Institute of Finance Research were successfully held in Chongqing. Speeches were delivered by: Bo Li, Vice Mayor of Chongqing; Yulin Huang, Secretary of the CPC Yuzhong District Committee; and Chun Chang, Professor of Finance, Executive Dean and Huifu Chair Professor of Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance (SAIF), Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Guangshao Tu (Member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Executive Director of SAIF and Chairman of Shanghai Finance Institute), conveyed an address and a keynote speech. Organization participants, leaders, experts, and scholars attending the event included: the Chongqing Local Financial Supervision and Administration Bureau, the Chongqing China-Singapore Project Management Bureau, the Chongqing Operation and Management Department of the People's Bank of China, the Chongqing Banking and Insurance Supervision Bureau, the Chongqing Securities Supervision Bureau, and the Yuzhong District. Focusing on the theme of "New Development Pattern of Future Financial Services", this event was jointly organized by the Chongqing Local Financial Supervision and Administration Bureau, the Yuzhong District People's Government and SAIF. It was underwritten by the Chongqing Institute of Financial Research and the SAIF (Chongqing) Education Technology Co., Ltd. Policy oriented, the Chongqing Advanced Institute of Finance Research studies financial policies, builds a platform for financial exchange and communication, integrates financial resources in Shanghai and Chongqing, and accelerates the implementation of national strategies. It has set up a green financial center, a FinTech center, a financial law center, an enterprise risk management center and a talent training base. These centers translate research findings into policy interpretations in the financial sector, ensure their accuracy and practicality, and effectively aid in the development and upgrading of Chongqing's financial sector. As an unofficial and non-profit financial think tank, the Chongqing Advanced Institute of Finance Research focuses on China-Singapore financial mechanisms to fully empower Chongqing, western provinces and cities, and China's financial sectors. Chongqing Advanced Institute of Finance Research will explore the financial landscape in Chongqing and the western region. Along with well-known scholars and experts from the academic community and industry, it will investigate practical and effective methodologies to provide strong support for SAIF’s insights for the financial markets in the western regions and across China. It will play an active role in the construction of inland financial centers, China-Singapore and Chongqing-Shanghai connectivity, FinTech, and green finance.