Programme

Governments from Beijing to London and Tokyo to Jakarta are investing in institutions and projects to recreate old trade routes and build new logistics networks in Eurasia. In order for Eurasia’s infrastructure to reach its full potential, the public and private sectors must grapple with the realities of economic models for developing modern infrastructure, while balancing an array of geopolitical and commercial agendas which may be at odds with one another. What concrete steps and showcase projects can provide a road map for the economic development of the Silk Road? What financing models are proving the most successful?

Moderator:
Li Zengxin , World Editor, Member of the Editorial Committee, Caixin Media

Li Zengxin

World Editor, Member of the Editorial Committee, Caixin Media

Mr. Li joined Caixin Media in 2008 and worked as macroeconomic reporter, US correspondent, deputy editor of international desk, editor of macroeconomics etc. He has 15 years of experience of economic, finance and business journalism. Prior to joining Caixin, he was a reporter with China Daily. Mr. Li graduated with a master’s degree in economics at University College London.

Panellists
Dirk Ahlborn , Chief Executive Officer, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies
Xiang Bing , Founding Dean and Professor of China Business and Globalization, Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB)
Kairat Kelimbetov , Governor, Astana International Financial Center; Governor, National Bank of Kazakhstan (2013–2015)
Konstantin Limitovskiy , Deputy Chairman of the Management Board, Eurasian Development Bank (EDB)
Dmitry Mezentsev , Member of The Council of the Federation of the Russian Federation Committee on Economic Policy; Chairman, Society of Russian-Chinese Friendship
Wang Jun , Adjunct Professor of Finance; Director of the CEIBS-World Bank China Centre for Inclusive Finance, China Europe International Business School (CEIBS)
Vladimir Yakunin , Chairman of Supervisory Board, DOC Research Institute; Doctor of Political Science

Dirk Ahlborn

Chief Executive Officer, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies

Dirk Ahlborn is a German-born entrepreneur. In the 1990s he founded several companies in the alternative energy and interior design sphere. He co-founded and became CEO of Jumpstarter in 2013, the company that developed the crowdsourcing platform JumpStartFund in El Segundo, California. He is also the CEO of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, a project initiated and incubated using JumpstartFund's crowd collaboration process. Dirk Ahlborn is known worldwide for his outside-the- box approach to giving paradigm-shifting businesses life, leveraging the full power of crowd-collaboration, the Internet, and exponential technologies at the vanguard of the global sharing economy. Dirk Ahlborn’s two decades as a serial entrepreneur serve him well as CEO of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies. As CEO and Founder of JumpStarter, Inc., a California-based, crowd-powered online business incubator. Mr. Ahlborn used JumpStartFund’s crowdfunding and crowd collaboration platform to greatest effect in co-founding HyperloopTT, considered to be the largest and most successful crowd-sourced startup in history.

Xiang Bing

Founding Dean and Professor of China Business and Globalization, Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB)

Dr. Xiang Bing is the Founding Dean and a Professor of Chinese Business and Globalization at Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB), a leading business school in China. Established in November 2002, CKGSB is China’s first privately funded and faculty-governed business school. Dr. Xiang’s research interests include the relationship between state and business, the reform of state-owned enterprises, innovation and the role of the private sector in China. He is a leading authority on Chinese business, innovations in China, the globalization of Chinese companies and the global implications of the transformation of China. His writings and cases on these subjects are considered among the most influential in China. He is an independent board member of a number of companies listed in Hong Kong, mainland China and the US. He also serves as a member of the boards of trustees for The United Way Worldwide (US) and for Asia House (UK), as well as a member of the International Advisory Council of FDC business school in Brazil. He has worked with many leading companies to offer consulting and training in China and globally. These companies include China Mobile, China Telecom, Huawei Technologies, TCL, Midea, Petro China, CNOOC, IBM (China), GE (China), Siemens (China), Goldman Sachs (Asia), Clifford Chance, Cummins, DFS, Lenovo, Bank of China and China Railway Construction Corporation.

Kairat Kelimbetov

Governor, Astana International Financial Center; Governor, National Bank of Kazakhstan (2013–2015)

Till 2002 worked as the member of Supreme Economic Council under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, at the Administration of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, served as Chairman of the Agency for Strategic Planning, First Vice-Minister of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan. From 2002 to 2006 served as Minister of Economy and Budget Planning of the Republic of Kazakhstan. In 2006 served as CEO of Kazyna Sustainable Development Fund (the state institutions of development). In January 2008 appointed as Head of Administration of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Since 2008 to 2011 - CEO of Sovereign Wealth Fund “Samruk-Kazyna” JSC (The Fund, which consolidated all the state companies). In April 2011 served as Minister of Economic Development and Trade of the Republic of Kazakhstan. In January 2012 was appointed as the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan, where governed the issues of macroeconomics, budget policy, governing of state companies and finance sector, tax and custom regulations and etc. Kelimbetov also served as the Chairman of the Council of Eurasian Economic Comission, where he represented the Republic of Kazakhstan. In October 2013 by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan was appointed as the Chairman of the National Bank of Kazakhstan. In December 2015 by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan was appointed as the Governor of Astana International Financial Centre. Education: has graduated from Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov, High Academy of Governance under the President of Kazakhstan and Georgetown University (USA).

Konstantin Limitovskiy

Deputy Chairman of the Management Board, Eurasian Development Bank (EDB)

In 1997–1998 headed corporate projects in Russian-American Investment Bank and Moscow Narodny Bank. 1998–2003 headed project finance divisions at the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank headquartered in Greece. 2003– 2010 worked in the area of structured finance for Russia’s largest banks such as Alfa Bank, Gazprombank and Sberbank, including project finance, real property loans, and finance for corporate acquisitions and restructuring. Before joining EDB, was the Vice President of VTB and managed its international project finance activities.

Dmitry Mezentsev

Member of The Council of the Federation of the Russian Federation Committee on Economic Policy; Chairman, Society of Russian-Chinese Friendship

Born August 18, 1959 in Leningrad. After graduating, in 1981, from the Leningrad Institute of Railway Engineers, worked as a workshop expert of the Leningrad-Baltic Locomotive Depot of the Oktyabrskaya Railways. 1983–1984: carried out Young Communist League work in Leningrad. 1984–1990: served as an officer in the Soviet Army, in the army press division. 1990–1991: people’s deputy of the Leningrad City Soviet, head of the Leningrad Soviet and city executive committee press centre. 1991–1996: Chairman of the Press and Media Committee of the St. Petersburg Mayor’s Office, representative of the Ministry for Information and the Press of Russia. 1996–1999: Deputy Chairman of the State Press Committee of the Russian Federation. November 1999: President, Centre for Strategic Research (Moscow). January 2002 – June 2009: member of the Council of the Federation, Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation (CF FARF), representative of the Administration of the Irkutsk Region on the CF FARF; 2002–2006: Chairman of the CF Commission on information policy. 2004–2009: Vice Chairman of the CF FARF 2006: by directive of the Government of the RF, appointed authorized representative for the SCO Business Council and elected Chairman of the SCO Business Council; re-elected in 2009. 2009–2012: Governor and Chairman of the Government of the Irkutsk Region. On June 7, 2012, at the SCO summit in Beijing, appointed Secretary-General of the Organisation for January 1, 2013 through December 31, 2015. Ambassador. Professor, Head of Political Psychology Department, St. Petersburg University, since 2008, CSc (Psych.), associate professor of MGIMO (U) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. Member of the Union of Journalists of the USSR and of Russia since 1988. Marries with a daughter and a grandson. Awards: Order ‘For services to the Homeland’ 4th degree, Order of Honour, medals, officer of the state Order of the Legion d’Honneur (France), medal ‘For strengthening Russian–Chinese Friendship’.

Wang Jun

Adjunct Professor of Finance; Director of the CEIBS-World Bank China Centre for Inclusive Finance, China Europe International Business School (CEIBS)

Dr. WANG is Adjunct Professor of Finance and Director of the CEIBS-World Bank China Centre for Inclusive Finance. He is currently Strategy and Compliance Advisor at Caixin. He was previously the Lead Financial Sector Specialist on Global Practice of Finance and Markets for the World Bank, where he was responsible for the financial reform and development projects of the World Bank in China. Dr. WANG received his Ph.D. in Economics from the Graduate School of Finance and Economics, PBOC (People’s Bank of China). He obtained his MA in Economics from George Washington University, a MA in English Literature from Peking Foreign Trade Institute (now University of International Business and Economics), and a BA in English Language from Heilongjiang University. During his term as the Lead Financial Sector Specialist at the World Bank, Dr. WANG was actively involved in several of China’s financial reform projects. He has extensive research experience in areas such as China’s financial reform strategy, financial regulation and corporate governance, reform of state-owned financial institutions, capital market reform and development, theory and practice of rural finance and microfinance, housing finance, risk management and financing during financial crises. Dr. WANG also led several microloan projects involving commercial banks which successfully promoted reforms and helped implement sustainable microloans in China. Prior to joining the World Bank in June 1999, Dr. WANG worked at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He was a Reviser in the Bureau of Language Services from 1984-86, and then rejoined the IMF in 1990, serving as an Economist in the Asian Department from 1990-1993. He began his career at the People’s Bank of China, holding several positions there including Deputy Director-General and later Acting D.G. of Department I of Banking Supervision; Deputy Director-General of the Comprehensive On-site Examination Department; and Division Director in the Foreign Financial Institutions and International Departments.

Vladimir Yakunin

Chairman of Supervisory Board, DOC Research Institute; Doctor of Political Science

In 1972 Mr. Yakunin graduated from Leningrad Mechanical Institute. He holds a DSc in Political Science. He began his career as Junior Research Associate at the State Institute of Applied Chemistry. After serving in the Army, he worked as engineer and senior engineer at the State Committee for International Trade of the Council of Ministers and Head of the Foreign Relations Department at the Ioffe Physico-Technical Institute under the USSR Academy of Sciences. 1985 to 1991: in diplomatic service (Second and later First Secretary of the Diplomatic Mission of the USSR to the UN). In subsequent years, he was Head of the Government Accountability Office’s Northwest Region Inspectorate . From October 2000: Deputy Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation. From February 2002: First Deputy Minister of Railway Transport of Russian Federation From October 2003: Senior Vice-President of Russian Railways June 2005 to 2015: President of Russian Railways Mr. Yakunin is Chairman of the Board of Trustees, National Glory Centre and St. Andrew the Apostle Fund; Co-President of the Franco-Russian Dialogue Association; Head of the Public Politics Department in the Political Science, Faculty at Moscow State University; Visiting Professor at Stockholm School of Economics; Doctor Emeritus at the Diplomatic Academy under Russia’s MFA. He has received a Russian Government award for contribution to science and technology.