On May 2, Li Youmei, First Vice President of Shanghai Academy, was invited to the 2018 Shanghai Municipal Government Decision-making Consultation Working Conference.

Ying Yong, Deputy Secretary of Shanghai Municipal Party Committee and Mayor of Shanghai, also attended the meeting and noted that, as socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era, Shanghai, standing on a new starting point of building a global city of excellence, needed decision-making consultation research and a new-type thinktank with innovative spirits more than ever before. He hoped the decision-making consultation workers would base themselves upon the national strategy, serve the overall interests of the entire city, give full play to their respective strengths, and conduct in-depth research., thus to accelerate the construction of five centers, namely international economic, financial, trade, shipping, and scientific and technological innovation centers and international cultural metropolis, and contribute more to building Shanghai into a city of excellence and a socialist modernized international metropolis with global influence.

The meeting announced the list of experts for the 8th Shanghai Municipal Government Decision-Making Consultation. Li Youmei was appointed as the special expert for the 8th Shanghai Municipal Government Decision-Making Consultation.

The meeting also commended and awarded the prize winners and individuals of the Eleventh Shanghai Decision-making Consultation Research Achievement Award. “Series Reports on the Evaluation & Study of Shanghai’s Migrant Population” completed by Li Youmei and her research team was awarded second prize for their achievements.

Mayor Ying fully affirmed the achievements made by decision-making consultation in recent years and set new requirements for decision-making consultation in the future. According to Ying, it is imperative to insist on high standards, high requirements, and high quality with an aim to raise the level of decision-making consultation research to a new height. We must further strengthen the sense of mission and responsibility, keep the overall situation in mind, be based on national and municipal situations, take a broad view to the world, pay more attention to the truth, see through appearances to the essence, and propose useful suggestions. It is important to strengthen the investigation and study, go deeper to the grass roots to get the picture of new situations, new problems and new demands, and thus give more practical and operational suggestions. It is a must to further intensify the construction of new-type thinktanks. Not only systems and mechanisms, but research contents and methods must be innovated. Internet, big data and other new technologies must be used to carry out research, and the construction experience of foreign thinktanks must be learned to realize objectiveness, professionalism, and effectiveness. Openness and collaboration must be strengthened, open research platforms must be established and best talents must be used. Moreover, all departments and units should actively create good working environments for decision-making workers.

Article by Xiang Feng