Marking the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Greece Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative EMBA (BRI EMBA) program at Tsinghua University PBC School of Finance (Tsinghua PBCSF), Jiao Jie, Dean of Tsinghua PBCSF, led a delegation to Athens, Greece, for a five-day academic module. The module further expands the BRI EMBA program’s overseas educational footprint and represents an important milestone in the School’s international education endeavors.

The opening ceremony was held in Athens on the morning of October 7, local time. Keynote addresses and a roundtable discussion featured Kostas Karamanlis, former Prime Minister of Greece; Fang Qiu, Chinese Ambassador to Greece; and Jiao Jie, Dean of Tsinghua PBCSF.

The ceremony was hosted by Professor Pelagia Karpathiotaki, academic lead for the BRI EMBA Greece module. More than 70 entrepreneurs and business leaders from the BRI EMBA program gathered in Athens for an in-depth dialogue bridging two ancient civilizations.

Photo: Opening ceremony

Kostas Karamanlis: Building a Shared Future Through Civilizational Exchange

 

Photo: Former Greek Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis

Kostas Karamanlis served as Prime Minister of Greece from 2004 to 2009. He was both a participant in and a witness to the signing of the agreement establishing the China-Greece Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2006. Over the past two decades, he has continued to support friendly exchanges between the two countries, helping lay a solid foundation for bilateral cooperation in trade, shipping, and people-to-people exchanges.

In his keynote address, Karamanlis fondly recalled the critical milestones that shaped the China-Greece Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, describing its establishment in 2006 as a landmark moment in the history of bilateral relations.

He highlighted Greece’s global leadership in shipping, noting that Greek shipowners account for one-fifth of global shipping capacity and 60% of the European Union’s total tonnage. The Port of Piraeus has grown into a core hub port for the Mediterranean and Europe, serving as a flagship benchmark for practical cooperation between China and Greece.

Karamanlis also highlighted the deep bonds between the two nations, from their shared Olympic heritage and cultural affinity to their fruitful economic and trade achievements across port logistics, agriculture, tourism, and technology.

Against the backdrop of an evolving international landscape, he stated that the world is heading toward multipolarity, calling on countries to overcome divisions and strengthen connectivity and cooperation. Drawing on the philosophical insight that "Socrates and Confucius share the same origins and underlying rationale," he expounded on the core of coexistence and mutual compatibility between the two civilizations. He also shared his personal experience of visiting China for the first time in 1979, witnessing China's leapfrog development under reform and opening-up, and reaffirming the enduring strategic value of long-term China-Greece friendship.

Fang Qiu: Shared Civilizational Resonance and Standing Together Through Adversity for a Far-Reaching Future

Photo: Fang Qiu, Chinese Ambassador to Greece

In his remarks, Ambassador Fang Qiu opened with a quote from an ancient Greek philosopher, emphasizing that experience and travel are the finest forms of education. He encouraged the participating entrepreneurs to anchor themselves in the fertile soil of Greece, gain insights into the European market, capture cross-border opportunities, and deepen international cooperation.

He provided an in-depth interpretation of China-Greece relations from four dimensions: civilization, friendship, opportunity, and a long-term perspective.

As ancient civilizations spanning thousands of miles of mountains and seas, China and Greece share deeply aligned civilizational values of harmony, inclusiveness, adherence to agreements, and responsibility, naturally endowing their cooperation with an innate tone of affinity and symbiosis.

Fang recalled the deep bond of standing together through adversity: Greece has repeatedly provided full assistance to China in overseas citizen evacuations during crises; meanwhile, with China's dedicated support, the Port of Piraeus has undergone a phoenix-like rebirth, evolving into a key hub along China-Europe supply chains.

Today, Greece enjoys a strategic prime location at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Relying on the China-Europe Land-Sea Express Line to unlock Central and Eastern European markets, Chinese enterprises such as Huawei, Gree, and Haier have deeply established their presence here.

Fang noted that industries in China and Greece are highly complementary, with tremendous cooperation potential in clean energy, new-energy transportation, agricultural products, and high-end stone materials. Citing Aristotle’s maxim that a true friend is "one soul dwelling in two bodies," he told the participants that the core code of China-Greece cooperation is to consolidate strength through mutual civilizational learning and stride toward a long-term future through practical cooperation.

Jiao Jie: Bridging Civilizations Across Mountains and Seas, Embracing a Long-Term Perspective

Photo: Jiao Jie, Dean of Tsinghua PBCSF

On behalf of the School, Jiao Jie expressed his sincere gratitude to Ambassador Fang, former Prime Minister Karamanlis, and all distinguished guests, and officially inaugurated the BRI EMBA Greece module.

Tsinghua PBCSF traces its origins to the Graduate School of the People’s Bank of China and is widely acclaimed as the "Whampoa of Finance." Leveraging Tsinghua University’s comprehensive multidisciplinary strengths, the School remains dedicated to advancing China’s financial reform, cultivating financial leaders, and building a world-class platform for financial education and policy research. As the BRI EMBA program approaches its 10th anniversary, it has trained nearly 300 business leaders and entrepreneurs worldwide across finance, energy, logistics, and the digital economy.

Featuring "finance empowering industry and immersive education connecting the world," the program practices the educational model of "taking the classroom around the globe." It routinely establishes overseas modules in Belt and Road countries, organizing on-site visits to benchmark projects and connecting students with local government and corporate resources.

Jiao emphasized that the Greece module carries profound significance, coinciding with three key milestones: the 20th anniversary of the China-Greece Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the 45th anniversary of the School, and the 10th anniversary of the BRI EMBA program. Twenty years ago, former Prime Minister Karamanlis proposed that Greece, as a major maritime power, should deepen cooperation with China in shipping and ports, while prioritizing cultural and educational exchanges as fellow ancient civilizations. Twenty years later, both visions have materialized: the Port of Piraeus has become a benchmark project of the Belt and Road Initiative, and this Athens module stands as a vivid embodiment of that educational and cultural vision.

Drawing upon his own professional background, Jiao shared the story of cooperation and development at the Port of Piraeus, affirming the strategic value of China-Greece shipping and economic ties. He encouraged the students that this journey across mountains and seas brings not only international perspective and industry insight, but also a deep appreciation of the resilience and long-term mindset distilled from the two ancient civilizations. He expressed his expectation that the Greece module will build a brand-new bridge for educational exchange, cultural mutual understanding, and economic cooperation.

Roundtable Discussion: Understanding the Global Landscape and Empowering Corporate Globalization

Photo: Roundtable discussion

Held in an engaging and lively atmosphere, the roundtable discussion featured an in-depth dialogue between Jiao Jie and Kostas Karamanlis on core topics including the international landscape, European development, and Chinese enterprises going global.

Addressing the global footprint of Chinese enterprises and the cultivation of core entrepreneurial competencies, Jiao observed that globalization has become an essential strategic pathway for Chinese companies. An increasing number of PBCSF alumni enterprises are accelerating their overseas expansion. For successful international growth, companies must deeply cultivate local market needs, enhance financial risk management, accurately position themselves along global value chains, uphold corporate social responsibility, integrate into local host communities, and act as responsible global corporate citizens.

Karamanlis pointed out that while the European Union possesses a massive economic scale and top-tier scientific, educational, and cultural strengths, European integration has progressed slowly due to a prolonged lack of political leadership. He expressed hope that Europe would reshape its strategic landscape, forge collective strength, assume greater responsibilities on the world stage, and serve as a core anchor for world peace, cooperation, and shared development.

Photo: Group photo of keynote speakers

From the PBCSF courtyard in Beijing to the shores of the Aegean Sea, the ancient Chinese and Greek civilizations are converging across millennia of history. A new dialogue marked by mutual intellectual enrichment, economic resonance, and cultural symbiosis has commenced. From October 7 to 11, Tsinghua PBCSF BRI EMBA participants will embark on a five-day immersive study tour, on-site visits, and cross-border exchanges in Greece. Standing at the new starting point of the 20th anniversary of China-Greece cooperation, they will explore emerging opportunities in cross-border finance, shipping trade, and new energy industries under the Belt and Road Initiative—drawing wisdom between mountains and seas, and gathering momentum to forge ahead with a global vision.