Academic Lecture on “Disaster Risk and Insurance” and the Innovative Development Forum on Earthquake Disaster Risk Management Held in the School of Finance of Nankai University  

On October 29, the “Nankai ‘Disaster Risk and Insurance Academic Lecture Hall’ (phase 11) and Earthquake Disaster Risk Management Innovation and Development Forum, co-hosted by the School of Finance of Nankai University, the Disaster Risk Management and Catastrophe Insurance Research Center of Nankai University, Tianjin Seismological Bureau and Tianjin Seismological Society, held in Tianjin. The theme of this conference was “Precise Management and Resilient Construction of Earthquake Disaster Risk in Tianjin: Technology and Strategy”. Wang Xinsheng, the Vice Chancellor of Nankai university, delivered a speech in the conference. Relevant leaders of Tianjin Seismological Bureau, Emergency Management Bureau, Finance Bureau, Science and Technology Bureau, Jinnan District government, the head of Tianjin Branch of PICC, Ping An Insurance and Pacific Property Insurance and related experts and scholars from Nankai University and Tianjin University attended the on-site discussion. More than 100 professionals, scholars and students from relevant government departments, insurance institutions, universities and other relevant scientific research institutions attended the conference online. Liu Wei, Vice Dean of the School of Finance, Nankai University, and Director of the Disaster Risk Management and Catastrophe Insurance Research Center of Nankai University presided over this forum.

On behalf of Nankai University, Wang Xinsheng extended a warm welcome to all who attended the forum. He pointed out the relevance of improving the level of prevention of natural disaster, improving the emergency management system and developing catastrophe insurance as regards the development of Tianjin. This forum aims to help promote the safe governance and construction of resilient cities in Tianjin, focusing on major urban safety issues such as earthquake disaster risk prevention and emergency management in Tianjin. It is an important academic activity to implement the spirit of Secretary-General Xi Jinping's important discussion on the prevention, reduction and relief of disaster and to achieve the important goals in the “14th Five-Year Plan”, and to help in the construction of a safe China.

Wang Xinsheng also said that the forum was one of the important works of Nankai University to promote the “4211 Excellent Nankai Plan”. It is a good start for the cooperation between the advantageous and characteristic disciplines of relevant colleges of Nankai University and the functional departments of Tianjin municipal government on solving problems in the field of urban safety and resilience construction, and provides a platform for the development of political, industrial, academic and research cooperation. Nankai insurance shoulders an important mission to promote scientific research and talent training for serving the country and society. It is hoped that the Institute of finance will carry out more in-depth cooperation with the Seismological Bureau and other government departments to contribute to promoting the construction of Tianjin as a resilient city, benefiting the society and people's livelihood.

Li Guanghui, secretary of the Party group and director of Tianjin Seismological Bureau, pointed out in his speech that it is necessary to actively explore the practical application of disaster risk management technology and innovate and develop a multi-dimensional and multi mechanism earthquake disaster risk management system and catastrophe insurance system. Tianjin Seismological Bureau actively responds to the tasks of the new era assigned by the party and welcomes the wisdom and strength from all parties, strengthening exchanges and cooperation between national first-class universities such as Nankai University, in scientific research, and strive to achieve innovative breakthroughs in disaster management, catastrophe insurance and resilient city construction, so as to provide a favorable guarantee for Tianjin's comprehensive construction of a socialist modern metropolis.

Guo Chunhui, member of the Party committee, deputy director and director of the Political Department of Tianjin Emergency Management Bureau, said in his speech that the forum provides a good platform for academic exchanges on issues in important areas of urban development in Tianjin. The theme of the forum is the refined and accurate management of earthquake disaster risk in Tianjin and the construction of urban resilience, A number of experts and professors in various fields related to disaster risk management and insurance in Tianjin gathered for discussion. It is believed that this high-class interaction would provide a lot of policy reference and practical guidance for improving Tianjin's urban resilience and dealings with issues on public catastrophes.

In the keynote session, experts and scholars from earthquake disaster, emergency management, engineering defense, finance, risk management and insurance and other disciplines, including Wang Dongming, assistant director of Tianjin Seismological Bureau, Cao Jingquan, seismological Society president and seismological bureau researcher of Tianjin, Chen Yijing, director of disaster relief department of Tianjin Emergency Management Bureau, Ba Zhenning, professor, School of Civil Engineering, Tianjin University, Wei Gang, executive director of the Disaster Risk Management and Catastrophe Insurance Research Center at Nankai University and Liu Wei, Vice Dean of School of Finance, Nankai University and director of Disaster Risk Management and Catastrophe Insurance Research Center, Nankai University, ,  had in-depth exchanges on the refinement and precision management of earthquake disaster risk and urban resilience construction in Tianjin, based on their respective disciplines and the perspective of development cooperation. They made heartfelt suggestions for improving the precision management of earthquake disaster risk technically, innovating and developing the multi-dimensional and multi-mechanism earthquake disaster risk management system and earthquake risk solutions strategically, and comprehensively improving the level of earthquake disaster risk management and urban resilience in Tianjin.

Wang Dongming presided over the discussion and summary of the forum. During the exchange, Yu Jingdong, General Manager of PICC Tianjin Branch, Li Jianyun of Ping An Tianjin Branch and An Tong, Deputy General manager of Pacific Tianjin Branch made further communication based on the contents of the keynote report. They exchanged their deep understanding and thoughts on the participation of commercial insurance companies in disaster risk management and catastrophe insurance system construction, deepening the role of insurance companies in social governance and serving the urban development of Tianjin.

This lecture and forum fully reflected the integration of government, industry, academics, and research. Experts, scholars and practitioners from various disciplines engaged in the research and practice of natural and social sciences cooperated with government functional departments based on the new development stage and implementing the new development concept. It helps to jointly discuss new technologies, new ideas, new mechanisms and new systems to improve the level of earthquake disaster risk management and urban resilience in Tianjin, and build a new development pattern, which lay a good foundation for the in-depth cooperation between government agencies, universities, research institutions and enterprises. As the executive director unit of China's emergency management institute, Nankai University will continue to develop an open and interdisciplinary research platform integrating government, industry, academics and research, deepen the research and personnel training of great disaster risk management and the catastrophe insurance system, serve the country in solving major problems and make due contributions to the construction of the modernization of China's governance system and capacity.