On May 31, the Third Ruihua High-Level Forum on Philanthropic Culture, jointly organized by the School of Public Administration and the Development Committee of Nanjing Normal University (NNU), was successfully held in the Fangfei Building Lecture Hall on the Xianlin Campus.

Yue Song, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC NNU Committee and Vice President of NNU, and Zhang Songjie, Secretary-General of the Jiangsu Ruihua Charity Foundation, attended the forum. Scholars and experts from the Development Research Center of the State Council, the China Society for Social Governance Studies, the Charity Branch of the China Association of Social Security, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Beihang University, Sun Yat-sen University, China University of Mining and Technology, Soochow University, Nanjing Normal University, Zhejiang Gongshang University, and the Dadongwu Institute of Philanthropic Culture of Huzhou participated in the event. Representatives from philanthropic organizations, social organizations, enterprises, and media outlets also attended. Centered on the theme “Philanthropic Culture and Public Governance: Theory and Practice,” participants engaged in extensive and in-depth discussions. University administrators, members of the Ruihua Charity Foundation, faculty, and student representatives were also present. The opening ceremony was chaired by Xu Kaiyi, Dean of the School of Public Administration.

In his welcome address, Vice President Yue Song expressed sincere gratitude to the Ruihua Charity Foundation and all sectors of society for their long-standing support of the university’s development. He noted that philanthropy is a vital force in advancing common prosperity and promoting Chinese modernization, while philanthropic culture plays a crucial role in guiding, inspiring, and sustaining the development of charitable endeavors. Guided by its spirit of “Hou Sheng” (Cultivating and Benefiting Society), NNU has established the Ruihua Institute of Philanthropic Culture within the School of Public Administration. The institute has made continuous efforts in theoretical research, public outreach, and practical innovation related to philanthropic culture, contributing to the advancement of philanthropy in Jiangsu Province and across China. Yue expressed his hope that the forum would stimulate intellectual exchange, build consensus, and contribute wisdom and strength to the high-quality development of philanthropy.

On behalf of the Jiangsu Ruihua Charity Foundation, Secretary-General Zhang Songjie delivered remarks. He emphasized that philanthropic culture is both a traditional virtue of the Chinese nation and an indispensable force in modern public governance. He noted that the forum’s theme was highly relevant and timely, providing a valuable platform for exploring the role and mechanisms of philanthropic culture in improving public governance and promoting common prosperity. Zhang reviewed the achievements of the Ruihua Institute of Philanthropic Culture at NNU and encouraged the institute to continue working with scholars and practitioners in the philanthropic sector to advance systematic research on the integration of philanthropic culture and public governance, explore new pathways, and inject fresh momentum into governance modernization.

The morning keynote session was conducted in two stages. The first stage was chaired by Zeng Chunguang, President of China Philanthropy Times. Professor Wang Jiexiu of Zhejiang Gongshang University, Professor Xu Jialiang of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Research Fellow Wang Weijin of the Development Research Center of the State Council, Professor Wang Weiping of Soochow University, and Professor Zhou Jun of Zhejiang Gongshang University shared their perspectives on topics including the creative transformation of traditional philanthropic culture, the relationship between philanthropy and social governance communities, and structural factors shaping philanthropic development.

The second stage was chaired by Xu Minning, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Jiangsu Administration Institute. Professor Li Jian of Beihang University, Professor Shi Congmei of Soochow University, Associate Professor Zhou Runan of Sun Yat-sen University, Professor Liu Lei of China University of Mining and Technology, and Li Hong, Secretary-General of the One Foundation, presented their research findings and practical experiences on frontier issues such as pathways for developing philanthropy with Chinese characteristics, international volunteer service theories, and community philanthropy.

The afternoon keynote session was also divided into two stages. The first stage was chaired by Shi Shuanshuan, Associate Editor-in-Chief of Jiangsu Social Sciences. Professor Zhou Huiquan of Nanjing Normal University, Zhang Jianchun, Vice President of the Suzhou Charity Federation, Zhao Xiaodan, Deputy Secretary-General of the Shanghai Charity Foundation, Wei Xiusheng, former President of the Dadongwu Institute of Philanthropic Culture, and Qin Hu, Chief Representative of the Beijing Office of the Environmental Defense Fund, engaged in discussions on topics such as digital transformation and philanthropic culture, Shanghai’s cyclical and symbiotic model of charitable governance, pathways through which philanthropic culture empowers community governance, and comparative studies of climate philanthropy in China and abroad.

The second stage was chaired by Wang Longfei, Executive Deputy Secretary-General of the China Society for Social Governance Studies. Cui Kaiyun, Research Fellow at the Ruihua Institute of Philanthropic Culture of NNU, Hou Yinguo, Research Fellow at Nanjing Tech University Pujiang Institute, Liu Mingqian, Secretary-General of the Zhejiang Juzi Public Welfare Foundation, Ren Dalin, Secretary-General of the Chengdu Jinniu Community Development Foundation, and Han Liping, Director of the Mingsheng Social Work Service Center in Qinhuai District, Nanjing, focused on practical issues such as challenges facing community philanthropy, contemporary implications of Buddhist charitable values, and the integration of business and philanthropy for institutionalized good governance. They proposed innovative approaches to stimulating the endogenous vitality of community philanthropy.

The closing session was chaired by Professor Ni Xianlin, Vice Dean of the School of Public Administration. Professor Li Jian, Vice President of the Charity Branch of the China Association of Social Security and professor at Beihang University, delivered the concluding remarks. He observed that the forum successfully combined theoretical depth with practical relevance. Discussions covered macro-level institutional design, meso-level governance mechanisms, and micro-level community practices, encompassing theoretical innovation, policy analysis, and practical exploration. He noted that the forum was distinguished by its focused scope, substantive content, and high academic quality, demonstrating the latest achievements in interdisciplinary research on philanthropic culture and public governance, while highlighting the growing academic influence of the Ruihua Institute of Philanthropic Culture at NNU.

Founded in 2023 with support from the Jiangsu Ruihua Charity Foundation, the Ruihua Institute of Philanthropic Culture at Nanjing Normal University has successfully organized three consecutive Ruihua High-Level Forums on Philanthropic Culture. The forum has become an important platform for advancing research on philanthropic culture and fostering academic consensus. It has also provided faculty and students with valuable opportunities to broaden their academic horizons and enhance their overall competencies, earning widespread recognition and positive feedback.