Invited presentation on “Making Sense of China's Enclave Urbanism Using Thick Data and Big Data”, organized by Guangzhou Geographical Science Research Institute in Guangzhou, China on 24 August 2019. (Dr. Shenjing He)

May 2019 - Invited key speaker on “Seminar of Long-term Observation Station of Urban Ecosystem & Founding Congress of National Urban Forest Innovation Alliance”, organized by National Forestry and Grassland Administration on 29 to 30 May 2019. (Dr. Wendy Chen)

Dr. Wang Xiaoyang, Visiting Scholar at Urban Theory Lab of Harvard University, on “Towards a ‘newer’ Geography: the Rise of Financial Geography” (Organized seminar)

Dr. Wang Xiaoyang, Visiting Scholar at Urban Theory Lab of Harvard University, on “The Global City and Beyond: Revisiting the Intellectual Trajectory”. (Organized seminar)

Invited presentation on “Planning and Development Opportunities in Greater Bay Area” at the Greater Bay Area Symposium of the Planning and Development Division of the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors. (Dr. Roger Chan)

Invited talk on “Methods of Spatial Analysis in Unpacking Religious Mobilities” at the Religion and the Belt and Road Initiative Workshop, organized by the University of Hong Kong. (Dr. Junxi Qian)

Invited presentation on “Recreational potential and habitat potential of urban greening in China” at the First Sino-Canadian Urban Forest Forum in Vancouver, 4 to 6 October 2018. (Dr. Wendy Chen)

Invited presentation on “From Multiple Connectivity to Seamless Mobility” at the 2nd Greater Bay Area Forum in Shenzhen, China. (Dr. Roger Chan)

Invited presentation on “Urban Studies from Elsewhere”, organized by the 2018 Summer Institute in Urban Studies, National University of Singapore, 15 to 19 July 2018. (Dr. Shenjing He)

Invited presentation on “Policy Mobilities, Latecomer Advantages and Politics of Scale: the Globalizing Strategies of Small Inland Cities” at the Regional Governance, Industrial Restructuring and Sustainable Development, Regional Studies Association Global Conference in China 2018 in Beijing, China, 29 June to 1 July 2018. (Dr. Shenjing He)

Invited presentation on “Urban China in the Countryside? Architectural Experimentation, Rural Renaissance and Planetary Urbanization” at the Urban China Research Network Conference, organized by Wuhan University, China. (Dr. Junxi Qian)

Invited presentation on “Urban forest and climate change” organized by the Guangdong Society of Landscape Architecture on 26 March 2018. (Dr. Wendy Chen)

Prof. John Rennie Short, University of Maryland, on “Urban Resurgence: the Making of Inequality in Global Cities” on 22 January 2018. (Organized seminar)

Invited presentation on “ ‘Villages of the City’: Reshaping Rurality and Rural-urban Relationship in Post-productvist Pearl River Delta, China” at the 2017 International Conference on Future Urban Development, organized by the Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School in Shenzhen, China, 15 to 17 December 2017. (Dr. Shenjing He)

Invited talk on “the Rural Renaissance and Reconstruction Movement in Contemporary China: Cultural Economy and Rural Society in an Era of Planetary Urbanisation” at the HKU-Peking University Global China Workshop: Rural sustainability, migration and urban space, organized by the University of Hong Kong. (Dr. Junxi Qian)

Invited presentation on “Gentrification and the remaking of Chinese cities”, at the Urban Governance Reform and Innovation Forum, 2017 Annual Conference of the Urban Planning Society of China in Dongguan, China, 18 to 20 November 2017. (Dr. Shenjing He)

Participation in the forum on “China’s Greater Bay” of the China City Planning Association Annual Conference held in Dongguan, China, co-organized by Hong Kong Institute of Planners and Macao Urban Planning Institute, 17 to 20 November 2017. (Dr. Roger Chan)

Invited as key member to participate Cambridge Workshop - 'Emerging Geographies of Transnational Monetary Power" in Cambridge Univ. 17-18 Sept, 2017, which aims to bring researchers in International Political Economy (IPE) and Financial Geography (FG) to find new/future research direction and to bid ESRC Future Research Grant in UK.

Invited keynote presentation of research paper entitled "Megacities, the World Largest Cities Unleashed: Major Trends and Dynamics in Contemporary Global Urban Development" published in World Development at 5th International Conference on Advances in Social Science, Management and Human Behaviour – SMHB'17 in Rome, Italy, 27-28 May.

Public Lecture co-organized with School of Business (HKU), Institute of China and Global Development, and International Centre for China Development Studies, given by Mr. Kurbanjan Samat, Documentary Director, on “I am from Xinjiang on the Silk Road” on 27 April 2017. (Organized public lecture)

Professor Suisheng Zhao, Director, Center for China-US Cooperation and Josef Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver, on “A revisionist stakeholder: The China challenge to the US-led world order under the Trump administration” on 20 April 2017. (Organized seminar)

Invited presentation on “Provincialising the West, De-parochialising China: Some Reflections from Urban Public Spaces in China” at the Annual Meeting, American Association of Geographers in Boston, USA. (Dr. Junxi Qian)

Invited presentation on "Belt and Road Initiative and China's global direct investment strategies" organized by Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences, in Kunming on 4 March 2017.

Invited presentation on "Beijing Olympics and China's mega-event urbanization model with preliminary comparison to India" organized by the World Bank and Indian Economic Association at the WB's Indian Head Office in New Delhi on 9 January 2017.

Invited keynote presentation on “Gauging the growth and decline of international financial centers over recent decades: Big trends and big factors” at the 15th conference of Industrial Clusters and Regional Development, jointlyorganized China Coordination Group for Research on Industrial Cluster and Zhejiang University, in Hangzhou, China, 19-20 November 2016.

Invited presentation on “How Big is Chinese’s Real Estate Bubble and Why Hasn’t It Yet Burst: A Comparative Study between China and World Major Financial Crises 1980-2014” and invited panellist for the specialist session of “Placing Finance in Urban and Regional Development” sponsored by The FinGeo at the 33rd International Geographical Congress (IGC), organized by the International Geographical Union, in Beijing, China, on 21-25 August 2016.

Paper presentation on “Where Does the Role of Chinese Government in Land Development Stand in a Global Context: An International Comparative Study” at Institute of Australian Geographers (IAG) - Annual Conference 2016, organized by IAG and Flinders University, in Adelaide, Australia.

Plenary presentation on “How Big is Chinese’s Real Estate Bubble and Why hasn’t it yet Burst: A Comparative Study Between China and World Major Financial Crises 1980-2014” at International Symposium on Land Policy and Housing Market, jointly organized and sponsored by the HKU SRT (China Business and Economics, and Contemporary China), Peking University – Lincoln Institute Center for Urban Development and Land Policy, Centre of Urban Studies and Planning and the ICCDS, held at the University of Hong Kong, 16-17 May 2016.

Dr. Simon Zhao, Funding Director of ICCDS, presented paper on "Gauging and Understanding the Growth and Decline of Global Financial Centers over Past Decades: Big Trend and Big Factors", and invited panellist for the session of "Launch of the Global Network on Financial Geography" at the Fourth Global Conference on Economic Geography 2015, jointly organized and sponsored by the School of Geography and the Environment at University of Oxford, and HKSAR RGC TRS Project, held at University of Oxford, in Oxford, UK.

Dr. Simon Zhao, Director of ICCDS, Invited presentation on "Calm Before the Storm: The Future of China's Financial Institutions and Navigating Hong Kong's Challenges Ahead" at 7th International IFABS Conference Hangzhou 2015, organized by the International Finance and Banking Society (IFABS), and Zhejiang University, in Hangzhou, China.

Dr. Simon Zhao, Director of ICCDS, Invited presentation on "Calm Before the Storm: The Future of China's Financial Institutions and Navigating Hong Kong's Challenges Ahead" at 7th International IFABS Conference Hangzhou 2015, organized by the International Finance and Banking Society (IFABS), and Zhejiang University, in Hangzhou, China.

Dr. Simon Zhao, Director of ICCDS, invited keynote speak at Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao International Financial Forum 2014, "New Regional Financial Centers and the Liberalization of Service Trading", jointly organized by Phoenix Satellite Television Holdings and Heung Hong Financial Holdings, in Qianhai Shenzhen, China.

http://big5.cri.cn/gate/big5/gb.cri.cn/44571/2015/01/20/7872s4846909.htmhttp://www.hkcd.com.hk/content/2014-12/25/content_3412128.htm News reported about the event in Chinese

Dr. Simon Zhao, Director of ICCDS, invited keynote presentation "Prospect of Processing Trade in the World, East Asia and China, and its implication to Nanning" at the 1st Guangxi-Hong Kong Cooperation Forum and 11th China-ASEAN Expo, organized by Guangxi Autonomous Region Government, in Nanning, Guangxi.

http://www.hkcd.com.hk/content/2014-09/16/content_3379699.htm News reported about the event in Chinese

Dr. Simon Zhao, Director of ICCDS, invited presentation on "The Future of Prime World Cities and Implication to China's New Round of Urbanization Strategy" at the Shanghai Forum 2014 "Population and Urbanization", hosted by Fudan University, in Shanghai, China.

Dr. Simon Zhao, Director of ICCDS, invited by the Department of Sociology at National Chengchi University, Taiwan, to provide public lecture on "Future of Prime World City and the Strategic Planning for Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Capital Region" and seminar for postgraduate students on "Global and China Development Overview 2012: QE, carry trade and China model of urbanization, land and financial development", in Taipei.

Dr. Simon Zhao, Director of ICCDS, invited by the School of Economics and Management at Tianjin Chenjian University to provide public lecture on "Beijing-Hebei Capital Mega-city Region Strategic Planning: trends, considerations and policy choices", in Tianjin.

http://glx.tjuci.edu.cn/Ycity/news/2013-11-26/2025.html

Dr. Simon Zhao, Director of ICCDS, invited keynote speak at China Regional Economic & Growing Enterprises Forum, "Factors Critical to Design of China's urbanization: land system reforms and financial facilitation and support", jointly organized by School of Economics, and Centre for Financial Innovation and Development, Peking University, in Beijing, China.

http://econ.pku.edu.cn/displaynews2.php?id=3729

Dr. Simon Zhao, Director of ICCDS, was invited by Jiangmen Municipal Government to provide keynote presentation on "New opportunities for second-time industrial upgrading and transfer in Pearl River Delta" at Seminar on the Development of Greater Guanghai Bay, jointly organized by the Jiangmen Municipal Government and Guangdong Urban & Rural Planning And Design Institute, Jiangmen, China.

http://news.sina.com.cn/o/2013-09-24/071928284025.shtml

News reported about the event in Chinese

Dr. Simon Zhao, Director of ICCDS, was invited as keynote speaker at the Symposium on Regional Population and Development in China, "Myths of China's new urbanization", jointly organized by Fudan University, and Shanghai Population Association, Shanghai.

http://news.fudan.edu.cn/2013/0929/34396.html

http://finance.sina.com/bg/experts/sinacn/20131001/0106872268.html

News reported about the event in Chinese

Dr. Simon Zhao, Director of ICCDS, was invited to deliver a consultation talk on Strategic Development Planning for Zhuhai – Hengqin: Financial Industry and Financial Sub-centre Development, project hosted by Zhuhai-Hengqin Municipal Government. This talk was attended by the Mayor of Zhuhai municipal government and Party Chief of Hengqin New Zone.

Dr. Simon Zhao, Director of ICCDS, was interviewed and aired by Swedish Radio on August 21st, 2013, on "China's macro-economic cycles and possibility for financial hard landings"

http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=83&artikel=5622691

Dr. Simon Zhao, Director of ICCDS, was interviewed and aired by 上海第一財經電視 on August 3, 2013, on "PRD labour cost and manufacturing returning to HK"

http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNTkxMjcxMTc2.html

Dr. Simon Zhao, Director of ICCDS, was interviewed and aired by China Radio International on August 1, 2013, on "Urbanisation in China"

http://english.cri.cn/7146/2013/08/01/3381s779379.htm

Invited Oxford scholar, Dr. Dariusz Wójcik, co-author with Prof. Gordon L. Clark, "The Geography of Finance", to provide public lecture on Capitalist Tools in Socialist Hands? China Mobile in the Global Financial Network. The lecture was jointly organized by HKU ICCDS, Centre for China Financial Research and Asian Institute of International Financial Law, at the University of Hong Kong, and funded by Theme-based Research Scheme Project on Enhancing Hong Kong's Future as a Leading International Financial Centre.

Dr. Simon Zhao, Director of ICCDS, was interviewed by NHK World 日本放送協會 on Feb 2, 2013, on "China Labour Issues: China's population bonus and manufacturing competitiveness"

https://www.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/tv/asiabiz/archives201301310600.html

Dr. Simon Zhao, Director of International Centre for China Development Studies, was invited by Ministry of Sports of Brazilian Government to present a talk on "Beijing Olympics – Impact on Economic and Urban Development" at the International Workshop "The BRICS and Sports Mega-Events" organized by BRICS Policy Center, a Brazilian Government Thank Tank, in 7th-9th Dec 2012, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Director, Dr. Simon Zhao, as a core Co-Principal Investigator, has successfully won the grant of $15 million HKD of the second round of Theme-based Research Scheme (TRS) funded by the Research Grants Committee (RGC) and the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The grant winning project entitles "Enhancing Hong Kong's Future as a Leading International Financial Centre" and it is the second largest grant in all social sciences, including social sciences, arts and humanities, law and business, in Hong Kong history. The TRS objective is to encourage the prominent scholars to conduct cross-disciplinary and inter-university cooperative researches on themes of strategic importance to the long-term development of Hong Kong. It is the highest level and most competitive grant in Hong Kong as it went through HK-wide 46 preliminary proposals and 17 full proposals and reached the last 12 proposals shortlisted for final selection interviews and only 5 (the sole proposal in Social Science subjects) out of 12 finalists were funded.

Director, Dr. Simon Zhao, as a core Co-Principal Investigator, has successfully won the grant of $15 million HKD of the second round of Theme-based Research Scheme (TRS) funded by the Research Grants Committee (RGC) and the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The grant winning project entitles "Enhancing Hong Kong's Future as a Leading International Financial Centre" and it is the second largest grant in all social sciences, including social sciences, arts and humanities, law and business, in Hong Kong history. The TRS objective is to encourage the prominent scholars to conduct cross-disciplinary and inter-university cooperative researches on themes of strategic importance to the long-term development of Hong Kong. It is the highest level and most competitive grant in Hong Kong as it went through HK-wide 46 preliminary proposals and 17 full proposals and reached the last 12 proposals shortlisted for final selection interviews and only 5 (the sole proposal in Social Science subjects) out of 12 finalists were funded.

Former Dutch Minister of Justice Visit: Requested by the Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Hong Kong for a closed-door meeting with former Dutch Minister of Justice, Prof. Ernst Hirsch Ballin, and Consul-General, Mr. Robert Schuddeboom, hosted by the Centre, on Migration and Urbanization Process in the Context of Human and Citizen Rights in China

Invited Oxford scholar, Dr. Dariusz Wójcik, co-author with Prof. Gordon L. Clark, "The Geography of Finance", to provide public lecture on The Global Stock Market: Issuers, Investors, and Intermediaries in an Uneven World. The lecture was jointly organized by HKU ICCDS, Centre for China Financial Research and Asian Institute of International Financial Law, at the University of Hong Kong, and funded by HKU seed funding for proposal for Theme-based Research Scheme.

Invited to speak at seminar on "Prime World Cities and Strategic Planning Issues for Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Capital Region Development" at Tianjin Urban Planning & Design Institute, Tianjin.

Invited to speak at seminar on "Prime World Cities and Strategic Planning Issues for Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Capital Region Development" at Tianjin Urban Planning & Design Institute, Tianjin.

Invited to speak at seminar on "The Future of Prime World Cities and Strategic Planning Issues for Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Capital Region Development" at China Academy of Urban Planning & Design, Beijing. This was especially for officials and planners from Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei Province governments.

Paper Presentation on "The nature of IFC studies and Hong Kong endeavors – Studies for global IFC development and their shifting trend" in Third Global Conference on Economic Geography 2011, organized by Institute of Space & Economy, Seoul National University and the Economic Geographical Society of Korea, in Seoul, South Korea.

Director, Dr. Simon Zhao, was Project Coordinator for the proposal of "Enhancing Hong Kong's Future as a Leading International Financial Centre (IFC)" in the final selection interview of Theme-based Research Scheme – First Round, hosted by Research Grants Committee, Hong Kong.

Paper Presentation on "Producer Services Industries in Hong Kong and Shenzhen: Integration or Territorization" in Workshop on China's Changing Regional Development: Trends, Strategies and Challenges in the 12th Five Year Plan Period, jointly organized by ICCDS, the Department of Politics and Public Administration and Strategic Research Theme on Contemporary China Studies, at the University of Hong Kong.

Public Forum on China's Spatial Strategic Planning and Development in the National 12th Five-year Plan, jointly organized by ICCDS, HKU Strategic Research Theme on Contemporary China Studies, Department of Geography, at the University of Hong Kong. Totaling more than 30 renowned professors and scholars from the Mainland had visited our HKU and presented speeches on the public forum.

Invited Presentation on "Competitions of Global Financial Centres: Determinants and the Rise of Financial Centres in China and Hong Kong" in China Studies Research Seminar Series, organized by the HKU Strategic Research Theme, at the University of Hong Kong.

Invited presentation on "The Prospect and Opportunity of Qianhai Modern Service Industries Cooperation Zone for Hong Kong" in Qianhai Development Forum, jointly organized by the Shenzhen Special Zone Daily and Hong Kong Commercial Daily, in Hong Kong.

Academic Conference on Digital Metropolitan Construction and Management Studies, co-organized by ICCDS and Institute of Space and Earth Information Science, CUHK and other three research institutes at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Invited Guest Speaker for "Mode of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Cooperation: joint development of Innovation Park in Lok Ma Chau Loop" in Hong Kong-Shenzhen Cooperation Conference, jointly organized by Central Policy Unit of the Hong Kong Government and the Municipal Government of Shenzhen, in Hong Kong Government Secretariat.

Keynote presentation on "The rise of Chinese Financial Centres: Competition and Cooperation among Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen and Hong Kong" in the section of "Financial Centres - Rising the 'Eastern Stars'", Regional Studies Association Annual International Conference 2010, in Pécs, Hungary.

Invited presentation on "Competitions of Financial Centers: Global Experience and the rise of financial centers in China" in the University Lecture Series at the Oxford University.

Chaired and organized session "China's National Strategic Planning and Urban-regional Sustainable Development in the 12th Five-year Plan and Beyond" and presented a paper on "Competitions of Global Financial Centres: New York, London, and Hong Kong" in Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting in Washington, USA.