China enhances intl academic exchanges to bolster digital economy

As China's digital economy rapidly develops, the country is intensifying its international academic exchanges to foster innovation in digital governance and provide academic support for the healthy development of such economy.

A representative of the School of Law under Southwestern University of Finance and Economics (SWUFE) noted: "As China's digital economy rapidly develops, the legal governance of data is becoming increasingly important."

Enhanced international experience, coupled with China's actual situation, can help the country explore innovative paths for the rule of law in the digital age, and provide academic support for the healthy development of China's digital economy, the representative said.

SWUFE, which is based in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, has officially appointed Ziqi Zhong — a doctoral researcher in Quantitative Marketing at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) — as a visiting professor, with a ceremony recently held in Chengdu and presided over by the representative from SWUFE School of Law, aiming to expand the school's global leadership in digital legal studies.

As Zhong was attending the 2025 European Marketing Academy (EMAC) Annual Conference in Madrid, Spain, he was unable to attend in person, but made a speech via video link, expressing his appreciation and affirming his commitment to future collaboration.

Zhong specializes in interdisciplinary research spanning data governance, AI ethics, sustainable digital strategy, and consumer behavior modeling. As first and corresponding author, he has published multiple papers in leading SCI/SSCI Q1 journals and presented at top-tier academic conferences including the American Marketing Association (AMA), European Marketing Academy (EMAC), and INFORMS Marketing Science Conference (ISMS). His flagship project, "PrivaAI", integrates behavioral economics, neuroscience and large language models to help companies improve their privacy policies — earning recognition from both academia and industry.

It has been learned that during his term at SWUFE, Zhong will collaborate with the School of Law on interdisciplinary curriculum development and research centered on data regulation, responsible AI, and digital sustainability.

At the appointment ceremony, a staff representative held a nameplate for Ziqi Zhong and accepted the appointment letter on his behalf.

Founded in 1925, SWUFE is one of China's key national universities under the Ministry of Education. Formerly known as Guanghua University, SWUFE currently hosts 26 schools and departments, offering 42 undergraduate programs and four national key disciplines — finance, political economy, accounting and statistics. According to the 2024 US News Global University Rankings, SWUFE ranks 23rd globally — and 3rd among all Chinese universities — in the field of business and economics.

Meanwhile, LSE — established in 1895 — is one of the world's leading research institutions in the social sciences. Ranked in the global top 10 across disciplines including economics, law, international relations, finance, and communications, LSE has produced 20 Nobel Prize winners and over 50 heads of state and government. Its academic and policy influence spans across continents.

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