February 10, 2026. Shanghai — The CEIBS–APS Centre for Financial Markets (CAC) was officially inaugurated today on CEIBS’ Shanghai campus. The centre is jointly established by China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) and Singapore-based APS Asset Management (APS). 

The profound transformation of the global financial landscape is elevating the importance of China's financial market. Research in this field, however, still lags those of mature markets in terms of depth, breadth, and international reach, reinforcing a growing consensus on the need for more thorough, systematic, and forward-looking analysis. In response to this demand, CEIBS has partnered with APS Asset Management, a firm with deep insight and extensive experience in Asian financial markets, to establish an open, professional, and internationally oriented research platform.

The centre will be rooted in academia, grounded in the market, and deeply engaged in policymaking, acting as a bridge to connect all three fields. With the dual aims of deepening systematic understanding of China’s financial market and promoting its further development, the centre is committed to building significant global influence.

Official Launch of the CEIBS-APS Centre for Financial Markets

At the Centre’s official launch ceremony, CEIBS President, Chair of the CEIBS Education Foundation, and Hengdian Group Chair in Management Wang Hong, along with with CEIBS Vice President and Co-Dean and Santander Chair in Economics Zhu Tian, presented a donation certificate to Mr. Wong Kok Hoi, Founder, Executive Chairman & Chief Strategist of APS. They were then joined by several distinguished guests for the official unveiling of the centre’s plaque.

Donation certificate presentation

Plaque unveiling ceremony

 (From left to right: Professor Wang Renxuan, CEIBS Assistant Professor of Finance and Director of the CEIBS APS Centre for Financial Markets; Mr. Wong Kok Hoi, Founder, Executive Chairman & Chief Strategist of APS and Co-Chair of the Centre’s Advisory Board; Wang Hong, CEIBS President; Zhu Tian, CEIBS Vice President and Co Dean and Co-Chair of the Centre’s Advisory Board; and Dr. Ma Lei, Secretary of the CEIBS CPC Committee)

The ceremony commenced with a welcome address by Professor Zhu Tian. He emphasised that the establishment of the centre represents not only a strategic collaboration between a leading academic institution and a prominent financial organisation, but also a vivid embodiment of CEIBS’s motto: “Conscientiousness, Innovation and Excellence.” He expressed confidence that by integrating CEIBS’ robust academic research capacity with the sharp market insights of APS, the centre’s research endeavours will combine empirical rigor with a forward-looking perspective on market dynamics, thereby infusing new vitality into knowledge accumulation and practical innovation in the financial sector both in China and globally.

CEIBS Vice President and Co Dean and Co-Chair of the Centre’s Advisory Board Zhu Tian

Mr. Wong Kok Hoi then delivered remarks as donor representative. He reiterated his long-term confidence in the immense potential and resilience of the Chinese market, adding that he was delighted to collaborate with CEIBS in jointly establishing the Centre. He emphasised that the establishment of the Centre will not only provide strong academic support for global investors to gain a deeper understanding of China’s financial markets but will also create an important platform to objectively and comprehensively convey the voice and value of the Chinese market to the global financial community, promoting mutual empowerment and win-win development.

He went on to introduce the Centre’s two flagship annual initiatives: convening a tripartite forum that gathers regulators, practitioners and scholars to deliberate on pressing market issues; and hosting the CEIBS-APS Best Financial Paper Award competition to advance scholarly understanding of market behaviour and mechanisms. Through these efforts, the Centre is positioned to become a trusted intellectual resource for investors and a credible bridge to tell the story of China’s financial markets to the world, he concluded. 

Founder, Executive Chairman & Chief Strategist of APS and Co-Chair of the Centre’s Advisory Board Mr. Wong Kok Hoi

Professor Wang Renxuan then addressed the audience as the representative of the Centre.  He stated that the Centre’s core mission is to address the current gap in systematic research on China's financial markets and to establish a high-quality exchange platform connecting academia, industry, and policymakers, before introducing the projects and activities that the centre will soon undertake. He emphasised that, building upon the school's profound academic heritage and APS's market expertise, the centre will focus on key issues in China's financial markets, conduct high-quality research that is forward-looking, practical, and policy-relevant, and strive to enhance international understanding and influence of China's capital markets.

CEIBS Assistant Professor of Finance and Director of the CEIBS‑APS Centre for Financial Markets Wang Renxuan

In a closing address, President Wang Hong extended sincere appreciation to APS on behalf of the school and the CEIBS Education Foundation. From a strategic standpoint, she pointed out that the launch of the centre represents a key component of the school’s research strategy, signifying a dual enhancement in both the scale and calibre of its research ecosystem. She emphasised that against the backdrop of profound reshaping in the global financial landscape, this collaboration between CEIBS and APS is a proactive response to the pressing issues of our time and an important step toward building an open research platform. This partnership will fully integrate academic frontiers with market insights, commit to conducting high-quality research, and consistently produce outcomes of broad value to academia, industry, and policymakers. She stated that the school will fully support the development of the Centre, aiming not only to make it a key platform for implementing CEIBS’ strategic positioning of “China Depth, Global Breadth,” but also to build it into a pivotal think tank that promotes the steady development of China’s financial markets and facilitates international openness. She expressed her expectation that through solid research and innovative practice, the Centre will serve as a bridge for knowledge accumulation and mutual exchange in the global financial field, thereby infusing CEIBS’ wisdom and strength into the high-quality development of China’s financial markets. 

CEIBS President Wang Hong

The ceremony was hosted by Mr. Hobbs Liu, CEIBS Assistant President, Secretary General of the CEIBS Education Foundation, and Director of the CEIBS Alumni Relations & Development Office. 

CEIBS Assistant President Hobbs Liu

Group photo

Moving forward, the Centre is committed to building a high-calibre intellectual platform that serves not only as an objective window into China’s financial development for the world, but also as a frontier for integrating global experience into local practice. Through sustained high-quality research, it will strive to construct a robust bridge of knowledge and trust between China’s financial markets and the global financial system, ultimately enabling mutual development, prosperity, and progress.