Renmin University Global Leadership Academy Opens 2026–2027 Academic Year

Summary

Renmin University of China's Global Leadership Academy held its 2026–2027 opening ceremony on 11 October at the Tongzhou campus, welcoming political party elites from 26 countries. Chinese attendees included Zhang Donggang, Party Secretary of Renmin University of China; Zhu Guangyao, former Vice Minister of Finance; Le Yucheng, former Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs; and Gong Yuan, Director of the International Exchange Centre of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. External guests included five newly appointed members of the Renmin University International Strategy and Development Committee — former Ethiopian President Mulatu Teshome, former New Zealand Prime Minister Jenny Shipley, former Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Zlatko Lagumdžija, President of the Free Economic Society of Russia Sergey Bodrunov, and State Secretary of the Union State of Russia and Belarus Sergey Glazyev — as well as former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

In 2026, political party elites and government officials from 26 countries entered the academy for study, including 30 political party elites from 14 countries in Eurasia and Latin America pursuing doctoral degrees in the 'Overseas Governance Excellence Programme'. Zheng Xinye, Vice President of Renmin University of China, moderated the address segment. Zhang Donggang said Renmin University was the first Chinese university to establish a Global Leadership Academy, dedicated to cultivating future leaders with a global vision and expertise in global governance.

Gong Yuan said the International Exchange Centre of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee and the academy jointly launched the 'Overseas Governance Excellence Programme' to advance modernisation in Global South countries through political party talent cooperation. Mulatu Teshome, Kevin Rudd, Jenny Shipley, Zlatko Lagumdžija and Zhu Guangyao delivered keynote speeches, moderated by Wang Wen, Dean of the Global Leadership Academy and Dean of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China. Shipley said China has developed practical experience worth learning from in knowledge innovation, economic development and social governance.

Zhu Guangyao said the development of artificial intelligence is driving the international payment system toward a new framework that is instant, cross-border and autonomous, and the blueprint for a new Bretton Woods system is beginning to take shape. The academy launched preparations for the Nunomi Centre and appointed Sergey Bodrunov as honorary professor; the centre is jointly founded by the academy and the Free Economic Society of Russia. The academy was established in November 2024; in 2025 it selected and enrolled political party representatives and young talent from six Southern African countries into the 'Overseas Governance Excellence Programme' for master's and doctoral degrees.

On 11 October, Renmin University of China and the University of Zimbabwe jointly established the China-Africa Civilisation Exchange and Mutual Learning Research Centre in Zimbabwe. Zhang Donggang, Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Zhou Ding and University of Zimbabwe Vice-Chancellor Paul Mapfumo attended and delivered remarks, and the two sides signed a co-construction agreement.

Commentary

The opening ceremony of Renmin University of China's Global Leadership Academy brought together political figures from multiple countries, including former New Zealand Prime Minister Jenny Shipley. The platform is not only a window for China's soft power outreach but also offers New Zealand small and medium-sized enterprises a unique channel to observe China's policy direction and build high-level connections. Shipley's participation as a former New Zealand leader itself signals stability in China-New Zealand relations, and her affirmation in her speech of China's experience in knowledge innovation, economic development and social governance suggests the appeal of the China model to developing countries, which could influence China's economic cooperation footprint in the Pacific.

For New Zealand SMEs, China's training of political party talent from Global South countries means China is systematically cultivating pro-China political elites, which over the long term will shape these countries' policies toward China and thereby affect the competitive environment for New Zealand firms in these markets. For example, if African or Latin American countries become more inclined to cooperate with Chinese enterprises as a result of receiving Chinese training, New Zealand firms could face fiercer competition in areas such as infrastructure and agricultural technology exports in these regions. On the other hand, Zhu Guangyao's remarks on artificial intelligence driving change in the international payment system deserve attention; he noted that tokenised assets and stablecoins could reshape the logic of reserve assets, a potential game-changer for New Zealand SMEs that rely on traditional cross-border payments.

If digital currencies or new payment frameworks promoted by China become widespread among trading partners, New Zealand exporters may need to adapt to new settlement methods, and understanding relevant technology trends in advance will help reduce transaction costs. In addition, the academy's joint founding of the Nunomi Centre with the Free Economic Society of Russia shows deepening China-Russia cooperation in academic and strategic research, which could affect the stability of global energy and food supply chains. As an agricultural exporter, New Zealand needs to watch for trade route or price volatility caused by geopolitical tensions.

Overall, while this event does not directly involve China-New Zealand trade terms, by influencing China's relations with Global South countries and the evolution of international financial technology, it indirectly shapes the international business environment in which New Zealand SMEs operate.

Keywords: Renmin University of China Global Leadership Academy, Overseas Governance Excellence Programme, opening ceremony, global leadership, Jenny Shipley, China-Africa Civilisation Exchange and Mutual Learning Research Centre, Nunomi Centre, Global South

Summary in Chinese | 摘要

中国人民大学全球领导力学院2026—2027学年开学典礼10月11日在通州校区举行，来自全球26个国家的政党精英开启来华求学之路。中国人民大学党委书记张东刚、财政部原副部长朱光耀、外交部原副部长乐玉成、中共中央对外联络部国际交流中心主任龚远等中方嘉宾出席；中国人民大学国际战略与发展委员会5位新任委员——埃塞俄比亚前总统穆拉图·特肖梅、新西兰前总理珍妮·希普利、波黑前部长会议主席兹拉特科·拉古姆季亚、俄罗斯自由经济协会主席谢尔盖·博德鲁诺夫、俄白联盟国家国务秘书谢尔盖·格拉济耶夫，以及澳大利亚前总理陆克文等外方嘉宾出席。2026年，来自26个国家的政党精英和政府官员进入学院研修学习，其中来自欧亚和拉美地区14个国家的30名政党精英在“海外治国理政英杰班”攻读博士学位。

中国人民大学副校长郑新业主持致辞环节。张东刚表示，中国人民大学率先成立中国高校第一所全球领导力学院，致力于培养具备世界眼光、精通全球治理的未来领袖。龚远表示，中联部国际交流中心与学院合作创办“海外治国理政英杰班”，通过政党人才合作推进全球南方国家现代化进程。

穆拉图·特肖梅、陆克文、珍妮·希普利、兹拉特科·拉古姆季亚、朱光耀发表特邀主旨演讲，中国人民大学全球领导力学院院长、重阳金融研究院院长王文主持。希普利表示，中国在知识创新、经济发展、社会治理等方面形成了值得借鉴的实践经验。朱光耀表示，人工智能发展推动国际支付体系向即时、跨境、自主化的新框架转型，新布雷顿森林体系的蓝图由此开始描绘。

学院启动筹建努诺米中心，聘任谢尔盖·博德鲁诺夫为名誉教授，该中心由学院与俄罗斯自由经济协会联合创办。学院成立于2024年11月；2025年选拔招收南部非洲6个国家的政党代表和青年骨干进入“海外治国理政英杰班”攻读硕士、博士学位。10月11日，中国人民大学和津巴布韦大学在津巴布韦联合成立中非文明交流互鉴合作研究中心，张东刚、中国驻津巴布韦大使周鼎、津巴布韦大学执行校长保罗·马弗莫出席并致辞，双方签署共建协议。

Commentary in Chinese | 评论

中国人民大学全球领导力学院开学典礼汇聚了包括新西兰前总理珍妮·希普利在内的多国政要，这一平台不仅是中国软实力输出的窗口，也为新西兰中小企业提供了观察中国政策走向和建立高层人脉的独特渠道。希普利作为新西兰前领导人，其参与本身就传递了中新关系稳定的信号，而她在演讲中对中国在知识创新、经济发展、社会治理方面经验的肯定，暗示了中国模式对发展中国家的吸引力，这可能影响中国在太平洋地区的经济合作布局。对于新西兰中小企业而言，中国对全球南方国家的政党人才培训，意味着中国正在系统性地培养亲华政治精英，这将在长期内塑造这些国家的对华政策，从而影响新西兰企业在这些市场的竞争环境。

例如，若非洲或拉美国家因接受中国培训而更倾向与中国企业合作，新西兰企业在这些地区的基建、农业技术出口等领域可能面临更激烈的竞争。另一方面，朱光耀关于人工智能推动国际支付体系变革的论述值得关注，他提到代币化资产与稳定币可能重塑储备资产逻辑，这对依赖传统跨境支付的新西兰中小企业是潜在的游戏规则改变者。若中国推动的数字货币或新型支付框架在贸易伙伴中普及，新西兰出口商可能需要适应新的结算方式，提前了解相关技术趋势将有助于降低交易成本。

此外，学院与俄罗斯自由经济协会联合创办努诺米中心，显示中俄在学术和战略研究上的合作加深，这可能影响全球能源和粮食供应链的稳定性，新西兰作为农产品出口国，需警惕地缘政治紧张导致的贸易路线或价格波动。总体而言，这一事件虽不直接涉及中新贸易条款，但通过影响中国与全球南方国家的关系以及国际金融技术演进，间接塑造了新西兰中小企业所处的国际商业环境。

关键词: 中国人民大学全球领导力学院, 海外治国理政英杰班, 开学典礼, 全球领导力, 珍妮·希普利, 中非文明交流互鉴合作研究中心, 努诺米中心, 全球南方

Source: Renmin University of China