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Global Social Entrepreneurs Forum 2015 Held in Beijing

Organized by the Global Alliance of SMEs (GASME), Beijing Huaxia Management College and Shihua Zhiye Investment Group, Global Social Entrepreneurs Forum 2015 was held in Beijing Yanqi Lake International Convention & Exhibition Center from November 25th to 27th. Around 2000 participants attended this forum.

The theme of this forum is: Take on the mission, and build a harmonious society.

The VIPs attended the forum included: Mr. Kofi Annan, Former Secretary-General of the United Nations; Mr. Lee Soo-sung, Former Prime Minister of Republic of Korea; Mr. Carlos Magariños, Former UNIDO Director-General, and Global Chairman of GASME; Mr. Long Yongtu, Chief Negotiator of China’s WTO Accession; Ms. Yang Lan, President of Sun Media Group and Sun Culture Foundation; Dr. George Wang, Executive Chairman of GASME, Director of Finance Department of City University of New York and Executive Director of Peking University HSBC Business School SME Center; Mr. He Weiwen, Vice Chairman of GASME and Former Commercial Counselor of Consulate-General of the P.R. China in NY; Mr. Jiang Xipei, President of Far East Holding Group; Mr. Liu Qihui, President of Business Media Group, etc.

Future global economic growth and prosperity depend on the strategic development of enterprises and win-win cooperation and collaboration among entrepreneurs in the world, in which entrepreneurs’ sense of responsibility plays an important role. Therefore, leaders from various business areas, entrepreneurs and senior executives from manufacturing enterprises, modern service sector, financial agencies, service institutions, and real estate companies get together to study and discuss the missions, opportunities as well as challenges SMEs face today, in order to enable SMEs to make greater contributions to supporting strong, sustainable and balanced growth in both China and global economy.

Mr. Kofi Annan, Former Secretary-General of the United Nations pointed out in his speech that economic growth and zero emissions strategies were not mutually exclusive, but they were compatible instead and can be achieved together. Mr. Annan encouraged companies and entrepreneurs to partner with universities and research institutes to develop energy-efficient buildings, smart transportation systems, and climate-friendly waste management solutions. Businesses should also provide relevant information about their production procedures and product characteristics to encourage consumers to purchase eco-friendly items. Responsible investors must assess the social and environmental impact of their investments before making the right and critical decisions. From Mr. Annan’s own experience, he concluded that healthy and harmonious societies are based on three pillars: peace and security; inclusive development; and the rule of law and respect for human rights. By working together we can build a more sustainable future for all societies founded on these three pillars.

Mr. Lee Soo-sung, Former Prime Minister of Republic of Korea emphasized that social responsibility should not be limited in one’s own country. No matter in which country, SMEs plays a very important role in the social economy. For example, in Republic of Korea, 99% of all the enterprises are small and medium-sized. More than 85% of employees in the country are working for those SMEs. Taking social responsibility is every enterprise’s obligation. In the past, maximizing profit was the only goal for almost every enterprise, which caused severe problems such as wealth gap and social inequality. Mr. Lee indicated that all of the entrepreneurs should establish the spirit of internationalism, take on social responsibility with a global view, and treat all the people around the world as our family members with mutual understanding and mutual respect. Entrepreneurs’ social responsibility should never be limited to a small range.

Mr. Carlos Magariños, Former UNIDO Director-General, and Global Chairman of GASME pointed out that in the past we have always relied on, and in the future may continue to rely on the leadership of a group of countries, which act as responsible global neighbors. As seen more and more often today, a group of global business leaders are ready to take up their social responsibilities. New technologies and open source business models promote the combination of traditional competitive systems with mechanisms of cooperation. The modern connections between investors, companies and consumers form a community to take on social responsibility. GASME fully understands this new reality and stands ready to play its role to help SMEs obtain more benefit from trade and investment flows; increase understanding of international negotiations on critical issues such as finance and climate; better gauge the opportunity provided by new technologies; better evaluate how to increase productivity while protecting the environment; and better anticipate major political and economic trends. Mr. Magariños said, “We believe we are probably witnessing a new dawn, or at least a new phase, for the global economy - one with a lot of promises as well as challenges”.

Mr. Long Yongtu, Chief Negotiator of China’s WTO Accession indicated that entrepreneurs should make great efforts to improve the development and prosperity for China’s economy. Meanwhile, an equal and fair market environment is needed for enterprises to provide better service and products for residents and improve the quality of their life. With that, those service and products will then grab large share in the global market.

Dr. George Wang, Director of Finance Department of City University of New York shared his points of view on the SMEs development in the era of Internet. He emphasized that the greatest benefit Internet brings to SMEs was to lower cost in information collection, which further reduces the cost of product marketing, capital raising and production.

Mr. He Weiwen, Former Commercial Counselor of Consulate-General of the P.R. China in NY pointed out that the oversea expansion of China’s enterprises are obligated to fulfill social responsibility, which means Chinese companies should not only succeed in China, but also in the whole world. Regardless of challenges and difficulties, environmental protection is always the key responsibility for every Chinese entrepreneur, and carbon emission reduction is a must do for every enterprise. Ms. Yang Lan, President of Sun Media Group and Sun Culture Foundation noted that charitable activities needed to be done by having all the people work together, which could not only enhance connectivity of the society, but also provided support for the economic and social development.

Mr. Annan and Mr. Magariños attended the Donation Ceremony for Kofi Annan Foundation held by Beijing Huaxia Management College. They also delivered brief speeches in the ceremony in the afternoon of November 25th. Mr. Lee Soo-sung visited Beijing Huaxia Management College in the morning of November 28th.

Global Social Entrepreneurs Forum 2015 was co-organized by Beijing Huayouhui Science & Technology Group, Hua Xia Business School, Beijing Shihua Enterprises Management Co. Ltd, and other institutions.


Mr. Kofi Annan delivers a keynote speech


Mr. Lee Soo-sung delivers a keynote speech


Mr. Carlos Magariños delivers a keynote speech


Mr. Long Yongtu delivers a keynote speech


Dr. George Wang delivers a keynote speech


Mr. He Weiwen delivers a keynote speech


Ms. Yang Lan delivers a keynote speech


Mr. Kofi Annan has a dialogue with Chinese entrepreneurs


Mr. Lee Soo-sung has a dialogue with Chinese entrepreneurs


Mr. Carlos Magariños has a dialogue with Chinese entrepreneurs


Release Ceremony of Global Social Entrepreneurs Proposal


The Forum Site


The Forum Site