The School of Global Governance, Renmin University of China (RUC) visited the World Bank China Office on the afternoon of May 18th, including Associate Professor Wang Ke from the School of Environment at RUC, along with Hu Qifan, Program Coordinator at the Office of the School of Global Governance, and five students from the School of Global Governance.

The activity, titled 'Exploring the World Bank China Office', isa part of the School of Global Governance’s brand practice course 'International Organizations in China' combined with the ongoing ' Global Governance Competency Development Program' activities.

Sebastian Eckardt, Country Director and Chief Economist of the World Bank, met with the faculty and students. At the same time, Harold Bedoya, Deputy Director of the World Bank China Office, participated in the event online.

Professor Wang Ke first gave a keynote presentation on China's goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2060, sharing research results on issues such as the peak year of carbon emissions and the process of transitioning to new energy, and engaging in detailed discussions with Mr. Sebastian Eckardt on related models and viewpoints.

During the subsequent Q&A session, Mr. Eckardt addressed questions from students regarding the challenges posed by the pandemic to the World Bank's work, environmental protection projects in China by the World Bank, ESG rating indicators, and China's influence on the World Bank.

In response to students' questions, Mr. Eckardt introduced the main types of projects that the World Bank conducts in China, including providing policy advice to local governments on new energy transformation, establishing environmental protection-related indicators for industrial enterprises, and green bonds.

He emphasized that China's role is no longer just as a recipient of unilateral assistance but increasingly as a partner providing experiential support. For example, the development of China's green bond market provides rich experience for the World Bank and other countries to draw upon. He expressed hope that China and the World Bank would further strengthen cooperation in the future to contribute to global sustainable development and poverty alleviation.

The discussion session was highly informative for the students, who not only experienced the working environment and atmosphere of the World Bank but also gained a deeper understanding of its specific working methods and content. After the discussion, the faculty and students took a group photo with Mr. Sebastian Eckardt to commemorate the event.

As one of the School of Global Governance’s flagship programs, the 'International Organizations in China' visiting programs have visited more than ten international organization representative offices in China, enhancing students' understanding of international organizations, broadening their knowledge of the United Nations, bridging the gap between students and international organizations, and bringing international organizations closer to the youth of RUC.