January 28, 2021. Shanghai – The launch ceremony for the CEIBS-Shui On Global Branding Strategy & Fashion Industry Research Fund was held at CEIBS Shanghai campus today. The fund was co-initiated by CEIBS and Shui On Management (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (Shui On) to serve as a source of insight into the Chinese market for foreign luxury brands and a platform for Chinese brands to interact with international peers and to provide support for global researchers in the area of brand strategy and the fashion industry worldwide. Shui On also donated 3 million RMB to the CEIBS Education Foundation to support academic research and relevant activities related to the CEIBS-Shui On Global Branding Strategy & Fashion Industry Research Fund.

CEIBS Vice President and Dean Ding Yuan (who also serves as the Director of the CEIBS Education Foundation and Chairman of the Executive Council of the CEIBS-Shui On Global Branding Strategy & Fashion Industry Research Fund), Shui On Land and China Xintiandi Executive Director and CEIBS-Shui On Global Branding Strategy & Fashion Industry Research Fund Executive Council Vice President Zhang Bin, CEIBS Associate Dean and Wu Jinglian Chair Professor of Economics Xu Bin, CEIBS Associate Dean and Santander Chair in Economics Zhu Tian and CEIBS Professor in Marketing and CEIBS-Shui On Global Branding Strategy & Fashion Industry Research Fund Executive Council Vice President Wang Qi participated in the event along with members of CEIBS faculty and staff, representatives from the fashion industry and guests from the local business community.
Prof. Xu delivered a speech during the donation part of the ceremony in which he expressed gratitude to Shui On for support research work at CEIBS. Prof. Ding then accepted the donation on behalf of CEIBS and the CEIBS Education Foundation, and presented Mr. Zhang with a certificate in appreciation of his donation. Next, Mr. Zhang and Prof. Wang introduced the founding purpose and future plans for the fund, and Prof. Ding offered an acceptance speech to Shui On on behalf of CEIBS and the CEIBS Education Foundation.

During the ceremony, 13 representatives, including those from the fashion industry and founders of domestic brands, became members of the fund’s advisory committee for 2021-2023 and received certificates from Prof. Ding, Mr. Zhang and Prof. Wang.

At the end of the ceremony, Prof. Zhu gave a keynote speech on China’s Rise and Post-Pandemic Economic Prospects. The impact from COVID-19 on the global economy, he said, will be short and the growth of the Chinese economy will not be significantly slowed in the post-pandemic era. Furthermore, he said he hopes that everyone will view the development of the Chinese economy in a global context and long-term perspective, and distinguish between short-term volatilities and long-term growth. Prof. Zhu also noted that the development of the Chinese economy is irreversible, the world of the future will be multi-polar, and peaceful coexistence will be an inevitable choice for all.

In the future, the CEIBS-Shui On Global Branding Strategy & Fashion Industry Research Fund will launch a series of activities involving special events, case development and academic research, and become a platform for communication between fashion brands, a world-leading collaborative centre in support of global brand researches, and a top think tank for studying the development of fashion brands in China and around the world.

CEIBS-Shui On Global Branding Strategy & Fashion Industry Research Fund Advisory Committee Members: