On the afternoon of May 12, the first Regional and Country Studies Salon of the School of Business Administration (SBA) was successfully held at Chengzheng Building. The talk featured Benjamin PETRY--HUMMEL, an exchange student from France, as the speaker, and was moderated by Professor Tang Mingfeng, Head of the International Affairs Office (Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan Affairs Office) of SBA and Director of the Sino-French Innovation Research Center.

Professor Tang Mingfeng emphasized that China and France each possess distinct characteristics in technological innovation and cultural heritage, and hoped that the Regional and Country Studies Salon will provide faculty and students with a bridge for mutual learning between Chinese and foreign civilizations and foster closer people-to-people connections. Benjamin focused on the industry’s historical origins, the brand matrix and the globalization process of the French luxury, and talked about the role of the Chinese market in promoting the French luxury industry. Additionally, he introduced the relationship between French food culture and economic interaction. Following the talk, participants engaged in discussions on topics such as the future trends of the luxury industry, the impact of cultural soft power, and the stimulating effect of China’s tax refund policies for departing tourists on the consumer market.

This event provided a valuable opportunity for participants to understand French economic and cultural landscapes, while enhancing cross-cultural dialogue and understanding between Chinese and French faculty and students. In the future, SBA will continue to build bridges connecting SWUFE with global academic communities and international enterprises, to further contribute its efforts to advance the university’s internationalization level.