Recently, the 31st Pacific Rim Management International Conference was successfully held at the City University of Macau. The conference, jointly organized by the Faculty of Business (FOB) of City University of Macau and the Association of Chinese Management Educators, attracted scholars and experts from around the world to present and discuss the latest achievements and development trends in the fields of economics and management.
The three-day conference commenced with an opening ceremony on June 29th. José Alves, Dean of FOB at the City University of Macau, delivered the keynote speech titled ‘The Past and Future of Macau’s Economy’. Prof. Alves provided an overview of Macau’s economic development and offered insights into the future of Macau’s economic growth. Prof. Alves highlighted Macau’s unique advantages as an economic entity, including its strategic location, industry strengths, and market opportunities. Notably, since Macau’s return to China in 1999, a combination of strong support from the central government, effective initiatives of the local government, and diligent efforts across various sectors has propelled Macau’s economy to unprecedented levels of prosperity. Looking ahead, sustained economic growth in Macau will require continued exploration of its role as SAR of China, a gateway to the Greater Bay Area, and a hub connecting China and Portuguese-speaking countries.
During the opening ceremony, FOB thoughtfully arranged student volunteers to guide conference attendees on a tour of City University of Macau campus. Attendees had the opportunity to witness the university’s 43-year development journey, and they were impressed by the campus ambiance and the outstanding qualities of City University students.
On June 30th and July 1st, scholars from China, the United States, Portugal, the Netherlands, Australia, and other countries gathered and focused on five main themes: supply chain, finance, information technology, ESG (environmental, social, and corporate governance), and human resources. They presented and discussed their research findings in detail. The conference received over a hundred paper submissions, out of which 50 outstanding papers were selected for presentation. Ultimately, three papers presented by scholar teams from mainland China, the Macau SAR of China, and Australia received unanimous recognition from the attending experts and were awarded as the best papers.
Dr. Harry Xia, Chair of the Pacific Rim Management International Conference and a lifelong professor at California State University’s Craig School of Business, highly praised the professional organization and academic impact of FOB of City University of Macau. He emphasized that this was the second time the conference was held in Macau, and FOB successfully organized this high-level academic event despite various challenges. This achievement showcased Macau’s immense potential as an international hub for academic exchange.
To honor the contributions of scholars in relevant fields, the conference nominated recipients for Outstanding Contribution Awards. The award ceremony took place during the closing session. Based on nominations by the Chair of the Pacific Rim Management International Conference and approval by the conference council, three scholars from the City University of Macau received the Outstanding Contribution Awards: Professor José Alves (Dean of FOB), Professor Justin Dejun Xie, and Assistant Professor William Chen. The conference organizers look forward to hosting more high-quality international business and management science conferences at the City University of Macau.
During the acknowledgments at the end of the conference, Professor José Alves expressed sincere gratitude to all attendees, scholars, student participants, student volunteers, FOB and the university’s administrative team.