Hua Yuan (left), director of Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce and Mei Bing, Party secretary of East China Normal University, sign a cooperative agreement on Dec 16. [Photo/WeChat account: scofcom]

The Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce signed strategic cooperation agreements with East China Normal University and the Shanghai Business School on Dec 16, according to commission officials.

They said the agreement with East China Normal University aims to build a high-end think tank for the construction of the Shanghai International Trade Center. The two sides will carry out joint research into areas such as forming a global trading hub, an Asia Pacific supply chain management center and creating a trading system innovation highland.

Officials said the cooperation with the Shanghai Business School will aim to promote the city of Shanghai as an international consumer center and extend the influence of the China International Import Expo. They said the two sides will move to strengthen the collaborative innovation of industries, universities and research institutes.

The Shanghai International Trade Center Research Base was launched during the signing ceremony.