Dublin conference closes with Asian Economic Panel summer meeting

The 18th CEA Europe and 37th CEA UK Annual Conference took place at University

College Dublin from 3 to 4 August 2026, on sustainable finance, artificial

intelligence and the circular economy, alongside the Asian Economic Panel's summer

meeting.

Around 120 scholars from Europe, Asia and North America attended. The conference

was jointly organised by Heriot-Watt University, University College Dublin and

the University of California, Davis, and hosted by UCD's Irish Institute for

Chinese Studies.

The Irish Institute for Chinese Studies marked its twentieth anniversary during

the conference. Founded in 2006, the institute has worked on China research and

Chinese-language teaching and on educational, cultural and academic exchange

between Ireland and China. The conference and the Asian Economic Panel meeting

were the flagship events of its anniversary programme.

The opening took place at UCD's O'Reilly Hall on the morning of 3 August, with

addresses from the Chinese Ambassador to Ireland, Zhao Xiyuan, the CEA president

Shi Yukun, and the director of the Irish Institute for Chinese Studies, Wang

Liming.

Keynote speakers included Heather McGregor, principal of Heriot-Watt University's

Dubai campus, who examined the skills shortages, talent supply and female

leadership questions that circular-economy transitions tend to leave out of

account.

Based on the association's original WeChat report of 10 August 2026.