Global governance school set to boost country's role on world stage

The Shanghai University of International Business and Economics inaugurated the School of Global Governance, the first of its kind in Shanghai, on May 27, with the aim of training young talented Chinese to work in the global arena.

For the first time in the country, a school will provide undergraduate, graduate, and PhD degrees in global governance to respond to the nation's rising need to provide talent for international organizations.

The main academic courses will combine politics, economics, and law, with instruction given in English. All graduates will be required to be fluent in English and French, two of the official working languages of the United Nations.

Qi Ming, Party secretary of SUIBE, said the school is dedicated to cultivating professionals who are focused on international economic organizations, familiar with national guidelines and policies as well as international rules, and proficient in international negotiations. They must also understand China's national conditions while having a global perspective.

The world's economic and trade pattern is currently undergoing deep adjustments, experts said. As China increasingly moves toward the center of the world, it has an obligation to further participate in global governance.

"Such a situation raises an urgent need for the country to prepare a large number of talented people who have international vision, are familiar with international rules, and are capable of participating in international affairs and negotiations," said Yi Xiaozhun, former deputy director-general of the World Trade Organization.

At present, there is a considerable gap between the scale of Chinese staff at international organizations, their rank and influence, and China's international standing, said Yi, who worked at the WTO for eight years.

"In order to enhance China's voice in the international economic and trade arena, we must participate in more international economic and trade negotiations and have talent familiar with international rules and proficient in Sino-foreign negotiations and communication," said Hong Xiaodong, former director of the Department of WTO Affairs under the Ministry of Commerce.

Opening global economy

A report delivered at the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October 2022 said that China's development should provide opportunities for the world, promote the construction of an open world economy, and build a new type of international relations.

"As one of the largest developing countries, China can push global governance in various fields forward in a more just and reasonable direction. This is not only for its own benefit but also for many other developing countries as well," said Yi.

Zhang Xiangchen, deputy director-general of the WTO, said the reshaping of international trade and investment rules will be quite important, especially when global trade is facing various difficulties, including the adjustment of global supply chains in the post-pandemic era, as well as the digital divide and climate change.

The Ministry of Education unveiled a work plan to optimize university majors in April last year, with support for universities to establish departments, such as those relating to global governance, based on their own advantages.

Qi said the new school of governance was founded in this context. The school is committed to becoming a training base to provide talent for international organizations, as well as a research institution and a think tank for global economic governance. It will also be a platform for communication and exchanges in international economic and trade negotiations.

Another tertiary institution, the Shanghai International Studies University, has sent more than 100 students to work as interns at international organizations, including the UN Headquarters, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN Volunteers, UNESCO, and the UN Refugee Agency, in recent years. From September 2023 to now, the number was 22. The interns have worked in New York, Geneva, Vienna, and other international cities.

Last year, the school also provided a training course for more than 260 tertiary students that focused on international organizations.

Instructors with work experience at international organizations and in the foreign affairs and diplomatic sectors, gave lectures on diplomatic negotiation strategies, the growth path of Chinese diplomats in the new era, and the core values and abilities of international civil servants.

Lack of representation

The number of Chinese staff at international organizations is still disproportionate to the country's standing as the world's second-largest economy, said several experts.

China, for example, accounted for more than 15 percent of United Nations' financial contributions from 2022 to 2024, second only to the United States. However, China has just over 1,300 people working in the UN system, accounting for only 2.3 percent of the total. The US, France, and Kenya, by comparison, have about 5,500, 4,400, and 3,700 people employed in the system respectively.

There are even fewer Chinese staff members working at non-language posts at the UN Secretariat, the lowest level among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, according to Yi.

Most of the Chinese in the UN system do translation, conference affairs, and logistics work, among other tasks. Only a small proportion of Chinese work at senior levels, and have the opportunity to participate in management and decision-making.

"China's underrepresentation in international organizations leads to restrictions on its right to speak in such organizations, and makes it somewhat difficult to exert influence on international affairs. Such a situation also makes it hard to effectively demonstrate the image of a responsible big country," Yi said.

"In the WTO, I've always hoped that young talent from China can join its legal department or work in dispute settlement. Several UN officials at senior levels told me that Chinese candidates usually have strong logical thinking and are very diligent. However, many of them have shortcomings when it comes to the drafting of legal documents," he said.

Ian Phillips, director of the news and media division of the Department of Global Communications at the UN, said that he has witnessed a growing number of Chinese staff in the UN system, even though they might still be underrepresented.

"I see a growing Chinese influence, especially with young people, including interns. In our department, we have a Chinese team that creates news in formats of written stories and video pieces on a daily basis. They are very capable, innovative, and solution-focused. They do important work," Phillips said.

"Perhaps the underrepresentation of Chinese staff in the UN system is because China's growth has been rapid. It's just that the number of staff members has not increased as rapidly as that," he said.

Peter Dawkins, chief of the Web services section of the Department of Global Communications at the UN, said that the requirement of working languages at the UN Secretariat could be an extra barrier for candidates from China.

If a candidate from China applies for an information technology post, for instance, they will be competing against applicants from the United Kingdom, the United States and France who are fluent in English or French and have a natural advantage, he said.

Playing to strengths

Interdisciplinary competency is one way Chinese talent can prepare for international organizations, several experts said.

Lu Xiankun, who was formerly a Chinese counselor to the WTO, said that today there are diversified global challenges, such as climate change, public health, and food security, and many different international organizations are working in those fields.

However, when it comes to solutions they are also always concerned about economics and trade. Young talent, therefore, must have good knowledge in this area plus another major, Lu said.

Citing the WTO as an example, he explained that while it is a trade organization, the real work usually involves a combination of politics, economics and trade, and the law.

While WTO employees must have outstanding capability in their academic majors, they must also think outside the box and "consider the subject of negotiation from the perspective of international relations and national strategy", Lu said.

In addition to good professional skills, a global perspective, and the ability to adapt to a multicultural environment are also necessary for any applicant to international organizations, said Wang Xiaoyuan, a master's student from Shanghai and an intern at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.

"I studied in Australia and New Zealand through exchange programs, which allowed me to get an in-depth look at the aquaculture industry in different countries. It laid a foundation for this internship in Rome," said the 24-year-old.

Hong, the former WTO official, said potential employees of such organizations must also be equipped with the ability to look into new subjects that require attention. "These may include digital trade, the environment and new energy, and empowering women," he said.

Dawkins from the UN said it is always good to have general skills, such as communication, teamwork, being able to think creatively, leadership, and data analysis, for young talented people to work for international organizations.