Author：哈特中心 Date：2026-03-30
Call for Papers (No.1) 2026 International Industry-University-Research-Application Conference: Intelligent Economy and Governance Innovation Forum & the 5th East China University of Science and Technology Symposium on Contracts and Governance in the Digital Economy
To deeply seize the core opportunities of technological transformation and governance innovation in the era of the intelligent economy, promote the responsible and inclusive development of artificial intelligence, and systematically explore the internal logic of AI empowering corporate governance, industrial upgrading and coordinated regional development, the 2026 International Industry-University-Research-Application Conference: Intelligent Economy and Governance Innovation Forum & the 5th East China University of Science and Technology (ECUST) Symposium on Contracts and Governance in the Digital Economy will be grandly held at the School of Business, East China University of Science and Technology（ECUST） on October 14, 2026.
Co-organized by the Oliver Hart Research Center of Contracts and Governance (ECUST) and the ESG Special Committee of Chemical Industry, China Chemical Society, the conference is supported by the China Green Finance 50 Forum, Shanghai Association for Contracts & Credit, ECUST Private Economy Research Institute, Shanghai Enterprises Federation/Shanghai Entrepreneurs Association, with Sina Finance as the official media partner. Rooted in the cutting-edge incomplete contract theory and property rights theory, this conference focuses on AI governance, data governance, platform governance and the construction of modern enterprise systems. It aims to build an interdisciplinary, international and high-level exchange platform integrating industry, university, research and application, and facilitate the high-quality, sustainable and inclusive development of the intelligent economy. Global submissions are now invited, and relevant details are announced as follows:
Oliver Hart: 2016 Nobel Laureate in Economics, Professor of Economics at Harvard University, Director of the Oliver Hart Research Center of Contracts and Governance, ECUST
Wang Hualin: Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Chairman of the ESG Special Committee of Chemical Industry (China Chemical Society), Professor and Dean of the School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, ECUST
Co-Chairs
Wang Yongqin: Professor at the School of Economics & Executive Director of the Institute of Finance, Fudan University, Distinguished Professor under the Chang Jiang Scholars Program (Ministry of Education)
Nie Huihua: Professor at the School of Economics, Renmin University of China, Leading Talent of the National Ten-Thousand Talents Program
Qin Xiangdong: Professor at the Antai College of Economics and Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Zhou Li: Professor at the School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University
Bai Zhishan: Professor at the School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, ECUST, Recipient of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, Leading Talent of Scientific and Technological Innovation under the National Ten-Thousand Talents Program, Secretary-General of the ESG Special Committee of Chemical Industry, China Chemical Society
Wu Yuming: Professor at the School of Business, ECUST, Executive Director of the Oliver Hart Research Center of Contracts and Governance, ECUST
2.Secretary-General
Jiang Shicheng: Deputy Director of the Oliver Hart Research Center of Contracts and Governance & Associate Professor at the School of Business, ECUST
3.Committee Members：Renowned experts and scholars from relevant fields at home and abroad (the list is continuously updated)
Theoretical, empirical and practical research on AI corporate governance, industrial and regional governance innovation in the era of the intelligent economy
Incomplete contract theory, property rights theory and cutting-edge research on AI governance & corporate governance
Theoretical mechanisms and practical paths of AI empowering efficiency improvement in smart corporate governance
Industrial governance transformation and risk prevention & control driven by digital technologies
Intelligent governance mechanism innovation and policy optimization for coordinated regional development
Algorithmic governance, data property rights protection and legal construction of the digital economy
Construction of intelligent economic governance ecosystems and value co-creation from the industry-university-research-application collaboration perspective
Other relevant ESG sustainable development topics
Original unpublished research contributions are warmly welcomed. The scope includes but is not limited to:
Applications of contract theory and organizational economics in AI governance, data governance and platform governance;
Research on AI’s role in improving corporate governance and decision-making efficiency;
Governance system restructuring and industrial chain collaboration in the digital transformation of industries;
Integrated application of smart technologies and coordinated urban-rural development in regional governance;
Property rights allocation, governance rules and regulatory innovation in the market-oriented allocation of data factors;
Corporate ESG sustainable development against the backdrop of the smart economy;
Governance challenges and solutions in the in-depth integration of the digital economy and the real economy, including cutting-edge theoretical & empirical studies and practical case analyses.
All papers must strictly adhere to academic norms, involve no intellectual property disputes, ensure originality and scientific rigor, and prohibit simultaneous submission to multiple journals/conferences.Submit a Chinese or English abstract of 300–500 words, clearly stating the research theme, methodologies, core findings and innovative contributions. The abstract should include the author’s name, affiliation, professional title, contact information and funded project information (if applicable).Format specifications: Chinese submissions shall follow the formatting standards of The World Economy; English submissions shall comply with the writing norms of American Economic Review, with unified and standardized citations, notes and references.
Practical cases concerning ESG and sustainable development of enterprises, industries, urban and rural regions must be original and authentic, highlighting governance innovation and practical outcomes, supported by empirical data and practical implications. The case format shall refer to Harvard Business Review, Case Studies and Management Review or Tsinghua Management Review.
Deadline for abstract submission (300–500 words): August 30, 2026. Email subject format: The 5th Symposium on Contracts and Governance + First Author Name + Affiliation Submission email: hartcenter@mail.ecust.edu.cn
Anonymous peer review will be organized by the conference organizing committee, and acceptance results will be notified via email by September 15, 2026. Accepted authors are required to submit the full paper draft by September 30, 2026; failure to meet the deadline will be deemed an automatic waiver of participation eligibility.
Date: October 14, 2026 (full day)
Venue: Lecture Hall 406, School of Business Building, ECUST (tentative)
Forms of activities: Nobel Laureate keynote speeches, thematic reports, in-depth sub-forum discussions, special seminars on incomplete contract theory and AI governance, industry-university-research-application roundtable dialogues, outstanding paper reviews, etc. An online live stream will be available for scholars unable to attend in person.
No conference registration fee will be charged. The organizing committee provides catering and conference materials for invited participating authors; travel and accommodation expenses shall be borne by participants themselves.
All accepted papers will be compiled into the conference proceedings for in-conference exchange.
Inquiries: Contact Person: Wu Yuming | Tel: 021-64253318 | Email: hartcenter@mail.ecust.edu.cn
Updates on the conference will be released via the official website and WeChat official accounts of the Oliver Hart Center for Contracts and Governance Research, ECUST.
The conference arrangements are subject to dynamic updates and adjustments; please stay tuned for the latest information.
We sincerely invite experts, scholars and young researchers from universities, research institutions, enterprises and government departments at home and abroad to submit papers and participate in the conference, jointly discussing smart economic governance innovation and contributing wisdom to high-quality development and modern governance capacity building!
Oliver Hart Research Center for Contracts and Governance, East China University of Science and Technology
March 26, 2026
