From April 20 to 21, 2026, the international academic conference "The Digital Shift: Redefining Global Value Chains in a Connected World", hosted by Renmin University of China Law School, the School of Law of City University of Hong Kong, and Erasmus School of Law, Erasmus University Rotterdam, was successfully held at City University of Hong Kong. Scholars and experts from multiple renowned universities and research institutions gathered for two days of in-depth discussions on cutting-edge topics including artificial intelligence, platform governance, the restructuring of global value chains, and digital rule of law.

On the morning of April 20, the conference officially opened. Dean of the School of Law, City University of Hong Kong, and Chair Professor of Basic Law; Professor Alexander Loke, Director of the Hong Kong Commercial and Maritime Law Center at City University of Hong Kong; Professor Koen Swinnen of Erasmus University Rotterdam; and Professor Ding Xiaodong, Vice Dean of Renmin University of China Law School, delivered welcome remarks.

Lin Feng, Dean, School of Law, City University of Hong Kong; Chair Professor of the Basic Law

Professor Alexander Loke, Director, Hong Kong Commercial and Maritime Law Centre at City University of Hong Kong

Professor Koen Swinnen, Erasmus University Rotterdam

Professor Ding Xiaodong, Vice Dean, Renmin University of China Law School

The first session, “AI, Platform and GVCs,” focused on the structural reshaping of global value chains by artificial intelligence and platforms, and was moderated by Professor Alberto Quintavalla of Erasmus University Rotterdam. Speakers included Professor Gianclaudio Malgieri of Leiden University, Professor Cui Guobin, Dean of Tsinghua University School of Law, and Associate Professor He Tianxiang of the School of Law, City University of Hong Kong.

Professor Gianclaudio Malgieri, Leiden University

Professor Cui Guobin, Dean, Tsinghua University School of Law

Associate Professor He Tianxiang, School of Law, City University of Hong Kong

The second session, “Emerging Challenges in GVCs,” focused on frontier challenges facing global value chains, and was moderated by Professor Martin Ebers of the Robotics & AI Law Society. Speakers included Associate Professor Dai Xin, Vice Dean of Peking University Law School; Assistant Professor Cristiana Santos of Utrecht University; and Professor Marija Bartl of the University of Amsterdam.

Associate Professor Dai Xin, Vice Dean, Peking University Law School

Assistant Professor Cristiana Santos, Utrecht University

Professor Marija Bartl, University of Amsterdam

The third session, titled “Data Protection, Data Governance and GVCs,” focused on the intersections among data protection, data governance, and global value chains, exploring institutional construction and value distribution concerning core production factors in the digital economy. Speakers included Professor Darren McCauley of Newcastle University; Professor Koen Swinnen of Erasmus University Rotterdam; Research Fellow Li Wenlong of Zhejiang University and Dr. Luo Jiakun of the University of Hong Kong; and Assistant Professor Sun Jingzhou of Renmin University of China.

Professor Darren McCauley, Newcastle University

Professor Koen Swinnen, Erasmus University Rotterdam

Research Fellow Li Wenlong, Zhejiang University

Dr. Luo Jiakun, University of Hong Kong

Assistant Professor Sun Jingzhou, Renmin University of China

The fourth session, titled “Accountability and GVCs,” centered on accountability mechanisms in global value chains, exploring pathways for reconstructing corporate responsibility, platform governance, and legal liability systems in the digital age. Speakers included Professor Paula Giliker of the University of Bristol; Professor Ding Xiaodong of Renmin University of China Law School; Assistant Professor Li Shu of Erasmus University Rotterdam; and Assistant Professor Chen Yang of City University of Hong Kong.

Professor Paula Giliker, University of Bristol

Professor Ding Xiaodong, Vice Dean, Renmin University of China Law School

Assistant Professor Li Shu, Erasmus University Rotterdam

Assistant Professor Chen Yang, City University of Hong Kong

On the morning of April 21, 2026, the international conference “The Digital Shift: Redefining Global Value Chains in a Connected World” continued at City University of Hong Kong with the fifth and sixth sessions. The fifth session, “Global Perspectives and GVCs,” focused on governance rules, power structures, and competition order relating to artificial intelligence and global value chains. The sixth session, “Innovation, Competition and GVCs,” mainly addressed core issues of innovation and competition such as data governance, cross-border regulation, computational power and environmental sustainability, and platform involution, providing new ideas for the regulation of global value chains. Numerous distinguished domestic and international scholars attended the conference. Keynote speeches were delivered by Professor Martin Ebers of RAILS; Professor Li Zhian (Jyh-An Lee) of the Chinese University of Hong Kong; Assistant Professor Hong Kaijin of City University of Hong Kong; Postdoctoral Fellow Zheng Kena of Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf; Professor Haochen Sun of the University of Hong Kong; Associate Professor Ke Lina of the Chinese University of Hong Kong; Associate Professor Alberto Quintavalla of Erasmus University Rotterdam; and Lecturer Li Zishuo of Renmin University of China. Together they explored cutting-edge legal and governance issues of global value chains in the digital era.

Professor Martin Ebers, RAILS

Professor Li Zhian (Jyh-An Lee), Faculty of Law, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Assistant Professor Hong Kaijin, School of Law, City University of Hong Kong

Postdoctoral Researcher Zheng Kena, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf

Professor Haochen Sun, Faculty of Law, The University of Hong Kong

Associate Professor Ke Lina, Faculty of Law, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Associate Professor Alberto Quintavalla, Erasmus University Rotterdam

Li Zishuo, Lecturer, School of Economics, Renmin University of China; Researcher, Law and Technology Institute of Renmin University of China

This conference was organized by the Hong Kong Centre for Commercial and Maritime Law at City University of Hong Kong, and the Digital Legal Lab of Erasmus School of Law, Erasmus University Rotterdam, and received strong support from the Law and Technology Institute of Renmin University of China and the Global Alliance for Legal Education.