On July 11, 2025, the closing ceremony of the Financial Leaders of Tomorrow Summer Program 2025 of Tsinghua University PBC School of Finance was held. The 12-day summer program came to a successful conclusion. A total of 59 young students from 23 countries completed this in-depth learning journey in Tsinghua University, jointly exploring the future landscape of China’s financial market.
Group photo of all the participants
The Financial Leaders of Tomorrow Summer Program is a two-week non-profit program, offering financial lectures for the attendees to comprehensively understand China’s financial markets. Participants also have the opportunity to explore the nation's capital and attend various cultural events. First organized in 2013, it has been successfully held for nine times.
Closing ceremony of the program
This year’s summer program attracted 55 students from 16 world-renowned universities, including Columbia University, Oxford University, Cambridge University, Warwick University, ESSEC Business School, Deutsche Bundesbank University of Applied Sciences in Germany, Australian National University, National University of Singapore, Kyoto University, and Yonsei University. Additionally, four incoming graduate students volunteers from Tsinghua PBCSF, participated in the program. The students came from 23 countries across Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Africa, and Oceania. The diverse backgrounds of the participants, including representatives from emerging market countries and young people from mature economies, injected a global perspective into classroom discussions.
Students taking group photo in Tsinghua University
The summer program’s curriculum was closely aligned with the cutting-edge of China’s financial reforms, covering a wide range of topics such as China’s capital markets, macroeconomy, insurance industry, sovereign wealth fund investment practices, digital transformation of Chinese banking, Sino-US trade relations, national carbon market mechanisms, sustainable finance, and financial technology. In addition to finance-related courses, there were also courses on Chinese society, culture, the Belt and Road Initiative, and cross-cultural communication. These courses helped students understand the social and cultural background of China, thereby providing a more comprehensive and multi-dimensional understanding of China and its financial markets.
The summer program invited a faculty composed of senior professors from academia and experts from the financial industry to teach cutting-edge theories and practices. The instructors also leveraged their rich professional experience to answer students’ questions about current hot topics and future career development. In addition to classroom learning, students visited the headquarters of Tencent and Lenovo to conduct field research on how financial technology is reshaping the traditional financial ecosystem. They also experienced the charm of Chinese traditional culture through paper-cutting and martial arts classes and gained an understanding of China’s economic development trajectory through an immersive “finance + culture” experience during their visit to the Mutianyu Great Wall.
Students vising Lenovo
Students visiting the Great Wall
The academic faculty for this summer program included Zhang Xiaoyan, Associate Dean and Chair Professor of Finance at Tsinghua PBCSF; Wang Xian, Vice Chair of National Institute of Financial Research and Director of Listed Company Research Center; Shi Anbin, Chair of the Board of School of Journalism and Communication of Tsinghua University; Zheng Lu, Associate Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at the Department of Sociology of Tsinghua University, Li Zhi, Assistant Dean at China Institute for Development Planning of Tsinghua University; Zhang Da, Associate Professor at the Energy Environment Economic Research Institute of Tsinghua University and Tu Xinquan, Dean and Professor of the China Institute for WTO Studies at the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE). Industry supervisors included Chen Chao, Head of the Research Institute of China Investment Corporation, Ming Ming, Chief Economist at CITIC Securities, Chen Donghui, Former President of Swiss Re China, Lin Yingqi, Deputy General Manager of Research Department and Banking Analyst at China International Capital Corporation and Wu Wei, Director of Institutional Cooperation in China for CFA Institute. The comprehensive, high-quality professional courses and the integrated faculty of full-time and part-time faculty were highly popular among students and became the biggest highlight of the program.
Chen Chao delivering lectures for students.
This summer program also specifically added a “Cultural Night” gala to help students from diverse cultural backgrounds quickly integrate into the new community and promote cultural exchanges. Students showcased the cultural characteristics of their respective countries at the gala, including music, dance, sports, clothing, food, and scenery. In addition, students participated in interesting team and individual competition events, which greatly deepened their understanding of each other and built strong friendships.
Students communicated at the cultural night gala
In her closing address, Zhang Xiaoyan said: “The summer program is not only a learning experience but also a platform that brings outstanding students from around the world together to explore China’s financial market, interact with industry leaders, and build lasting connections. This program aims to help you gain a deeper understanding of China’s role in the global financial landscape and inspire you to become future leaders.”
Prof. Zhang Xiaoyan delivering address at the closing ceremony
Emmy Prochnau, a student from Deutsche Bundesbank University of Applied Sciences, said that the summer program was such a wonderful experience. She felt very comfortable from the beginning and truly enjoyed every moment. Gao Tianci, a student at ESSEC Business School, said that as a Chinese student studying abroad, her previous finance courses mainly focused on mature financial markets like the United States. She expressed her gratitude for the program, which provided students with a unique but crucial insider’s perspective, allowing her to resonate with China’s market, society, and broader areas. Other participants also expressed their thanks to the organizers of the project, the International Office of Tsinghua PBCSF, and the volunteers involved in the activities. They noted that the hard work, thoughtful arrangements, and warm hospitality of the staff made everyone feel at home. From the meticulously designed courses to the rich and colorful cultural activities, every aspect demonstrated the staff’s professionalism and attention to detail.
Tsinghua University continues to advance its internationalization strategy, committed to becoming a global hub for education and research. The international summer program hosted by Tsinghua PBCSF is a concrete manifestation of this strategy. It aims to cultivate future financial leaders with an international perspective and promote global financial cooperation and understanding through education and cultural exchanges. This program not only provides students with an opportunity to gain an in-depth understanding of China’s financial market but also contributes to enhancing Tsinghua University’s influence in the global field of financial education.
