On the morning of June 3, “Tradition and Modernity: 21st Century Urban Governance Workshop” was officially opened at the E204, Zhensheng garden, Qingdao campus of Shandong University. The opening ceremony was presided by Gai Yuqiang, the Secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Political Science and Public Administration. Associate Professor He Jingwei, leading the delegation from the Education University of Hong Kong, Cao Xianqiang, the Vice President of the Qingdao Campus of Shandong University, Daniel Bell, Dean of the School of Political Science and Public Administration of Shandong University, Li Jishi, Associate Dean of the School of Political Science and Public Administration, Lou Suping, Associate Professor of the School of Political Science and Public Administration of Shandong University and 30 students from the two universities participated in the opening ceremony.

Professor Cao Xianqiang gave a speech at the opening ceremony. He gave a comprehensive introduction to Shandong University and the Qingdao campus of Shandong University from the perspectives of history and space, culture and connotation, tradition and modernity, and explained the significance of the workshop with the characteristics of Qingdao and Hong Kong. Afterwards, Associate Professor He Jingwei of the Education University of Hong Kong delivered a speech, expressing their gratitude and fully affirming the important role of the workshop as a platform for youth exchange and school friendship between the two regions, wishing the students from both places to fully communicate and gain friendship during the workshop. Then, representatives of the two schools solemnly received the flag of the workshop with symbolic meaning of academic exchange from Professor Cao Xianqiang. After the flag awarding ceremony, the workshop officially began.

After the opening ceremony, Professor Daniel Bell gave a lecture on " China's political model: meritocracy, democracy, or both". The lecture was divided into three parts: which standards should be used to measure political progress and regression, why meritocracy is the right standard for China, which qualities are crucial for political leaders, and how to measure these qualities. At the end of the lecture, Professor Bei Danning communicated with the teachers and students of the workshop.

The workshop was funded by the Ministry of Education's “Hong Kong, Macao and Mainland Higher Education Teacher-Student Exchange Program” and was jointly applied by Shandong University and the Education University of Hong Kong. The seven-day workshop is an important part of our cooperation with Hong Kong universities, which aims to promote cultural exchanges between students from the Mainland and Hong Kong and to enhance the relationship between the students of the two regions.