【SCPO-SH-Lecture】Make space for valuable conversation

Dear alumni,

Thank you for signing up for the lecture on "Energy Transition: Opportunities and Challenges in China and Europe" on April 20th. We are thrilled to have received over 100 online & offline registrations, the highest registration record we have ever hit in history, greatly exceeding our expectations for a small-scale alumni event.

After preparing the typical procedures and speech, I suddenly began to doubt whether a 5-10 minute speech could bring any valuable content and convey the unique story of each individual. After discussing with my fellow alumni, I have decided to cancel the chairman's routine speech (upon further notice if needed) but instead communicate the interesting aspects of each lecture through an article on our official public account.

• Eliminate formalities and make our lecture an opportunity for theme-based exchange: Let the attendees focus more on the insights and ideas of the stakeholders related to the theme and maintain an atmosphere of intellectual exchange.

• Use concise language (possibly via other formats in the future) to better narrate the story of each lecture: From topic selection to guest invitations, each lecture has its own unique backstage story, allowing everyone to experience the Science PO spirit.

• Record the collective efforts of a group of passionate and ambitious Science PO alumni: The preparation process of each lecture, filled with surprises and joys, reflects the continuous efforts of numerous Science PO alumni, and each name should not be overlooked.

• And, of course, express our gratitude to the sponsors who support our activities, whose logos will be prominently displayed here.

In 2021, we launched a series of lectures, with the main objective of "promoting dialogues between China and France/Europe on major issues." This not only aligns with the positioning and academic strengths of Sciences Po, but also caters to the interests of our diverse alumni community. Moreover, in the ever-changing world we live in, high-quality humanistic dialogue and communications are particularly important, and Sciences Po alumni can contribute their efforts in this regard.

"Energy Transition: Opportunities and Challenges for China and Europe"

About the Theme

For this year's fisrt lecture, we chose energy transition as the main theme. The reasons are simple. Energy transition, carbon neutrality, and climate change are significant issues that both China and Europe have importante roles to play. Therefore, these are also topics for Sciences Po Alumni in Shanghai address every year. Another reason is that our senior alumnus, Mr. Herve Machenaud, published a book titled "The Stone de France" last year, exploring the future path of energy transition. Since last year, we have been in contact with Mr. Machenaud to prepare for the lecture, hoping that he can share his experiences and reflections on the energy industry in China and France over the past 30 years with our alumni.

Regarding the interesting speakers

After confirming Mr. Herve Machenaud’s attendance as a speaker for our lecture, we started looking for other guest speakers. For us, each lecture is an opportunity to promote exchanges between China and Europe, so we invite each time two European guests and two Chinese guests for dialogues, and try to have different background from both academia and the market, or both macro and micro levels, hoping to bring comprehensive perspectives for the lecture.

For European guests, besides Mr. Machenaud, we are fortunate to have invited Mr. Nicolas Poirot, CEO of Air Liquide China. Air Liquide has a strong position in carbon neutrality and valuable experiences to share in hydrogen technology. Mr. Poirot has also been invited to our "Technological Sovereignty" lecture before, where he shared his insights on business and management experiences in different countries, which deeply impressed me.

As for Chinese experts, Mr. Weijun Zhao, the President of Envision AESC China, a leading domestic new energy company, can provide us with valuable insights and know-how on the development of new energy in China from the perspective of battery business, and how to establish a foothold in China and expand overseas.

In addition, we have always hoped to have a guest with international background who is familiar with China's energy and decarbonization policies, providing a macro-level perspective. Through the recommendation of our alumnus Ms. Menglu Zhang, we contacted Mr. Jianjun Tu, MD of Agora Energy Transition China, who has worked at the International Energy Agency (IEA) in Paris and lectured in Sciences Po, and his market and policy analyses from an international perspective are expected to bring exciting insipirations.

The panel discussion is always the liveliest part of our lectures. We believe that good questions will lead to good discussions, so the choice of panel moderator is crucial, expected to be professional, thoughtful, and good at raising sharp questions. Mr. Fulvio Bartolucci, General Manager of Aden Energy, perfectly trilingual who speaks fluent Chinese, Italian, and English, and knowledgeable about China and Europe's energy and carbon markets can discuss carbon market issues directly in Chinese. Aden Energy is also actively involved in new energy and carbon emission reduction related technologies, and has unique experiences in the Chinese market.

For the opening and concluding remarks of the lecture, we have invited Mr. Joan Valadou, Consul General of France in Shanghai. Mr. Valadou took careful notes of the key points from the speeches of our previous lectures and provided insightful comments, which are still fresh in the memories of the participants.

For this year's lectures, we will also invite young alumni across new sectors to be the host of the lectures, bringing new vitality through their professional know-how. For this lecture, we have invited Ms. Lin Sun, an alumnus from the class of 2015 majoring in Public Policy, who is currently the head of Sustainable Development Department at Jinko Solar. With her experience in the new energy and photovoltaic field, we believe she will bring high-quality interactions to the lecture. Moreover, Ms. Sun is also a talented woman who has independently written and published an urban novel inspired by the students’ life  in Paris called " Love never ends in Paris "（Ru Guo Ai You Shi Cha）.

Special Thanks

I would like to express my gratitude to the team of the Sciences Po Alumni in Shanghai for their dedication and hard work in preparing and organizing this lecture. Special thanks to Lucille for coordinating with sponsors and guests, Sun Hang for visual design, Zhai Yue as the chief photographer, Gong Yunmu for managing all the online activities, Wang Yichao for handling alumni registration, and Wang Jiaqi and Fan Yifei for their contribution to external communications. I would also like to thank our collaborator Yuan Ye, whom I discovered at a gathering, for joining in the organization of this lecture.

For this lecture, I would like to extend my special thanks to alumnus Lin Shenchu (Class of 2018, PSIA Environmental Policy)  who has been proactive in providing suggestions and helping us connect with Envision Group from the very beginning when I mentioned the idea of hosting an energy-themed lecture. We believe it is meaningful to bring the lecture of China-Europe energy dialogue to a Chinese leading new energy company, and to engage more friends outside the French-speaking circle in the activities organized by the Sciences Po Alumni in Shanghai. Since then, I have frequently “bothered” Shenchu for assisting and organizing the lecture during late nights and weekends, despite his busy schedule. I believe this is not only because of his deep passion for our alma mater, but also his strong passion for the topics on "energy" and "low carbon." Shenchu and his friends have also hosted a podcast called "Let's Talk Aloud," focusing on energy and carbon neutrality issues, which can be found on Ximalaya for those who are interested.

Furthermore, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to alumni Francois Amman for his continuous and countless support to our alumni in Shanghai.

Thanks to our partners

Lastly, I would like to thank all the sponsors who have supported this lecture, and hope that more companies can join and support the activities of the Sciences Po Alumni in Shanghai for the "China-Europe Dialogue."

Venue Support：

Speaker & Cocktail Support：

Visual Design：

Zoé周鹤巍

Vice President of Sciences Po Alumni in China

President of Sciences Po Alumni in Shanghai

18^th  April 2023