From May 31 to June 2, 2025, to commemorate the centenary of the founding of Southwestern University of Finance and Economics (SWUFE), the School of Accounting (SOA) welcomed a delegation of international partners. Distinguished guests included Mary Gorman, Vice President of Baruch College, City University of New York (CUNY); Kathleen Gray, Associate Provost; Andreas Grein, Director of the Weissman Center for International Business; Sonali Hazarika, Executive Director of the Undergraduate Program at Zicklin School of Business; Suresh Govindaraj, Director of Ph.D. Program at Rutgers Business School; Professor YE Jianming, founder of the SWUFE-Baruch Accounting Program; and others. They attended the SWUFE centenary celebration, the Chinese-Foreign University Presidents Forum, and the SOA commemoration ceremony themed on cooperation and the SWUFE centenary.

On the afternoon of May 31, Zhao Jianjun, Secretary of the CPC Committee of SWUFE, met with guests from overseas universities who attended the centenary. Vice President Mary Gorman and Associate Provost Kathleen Gray were present at the symposium. Li Zhisheng, a Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Committee and Vice President of SWUFE. Secretary Zhao Jianjun warmly welcomed representatives from overseas universities attending SWUFE’s centennial celebration, and highlighted the fruitful achievements built through years of close collaboration. In an era when the scientific and technological revolution is profoundly reshaping global higher education, he expressed his hope for exploring new approaches to education through the Chinese-Foreign University Presidents Forum and for contributing innovative momentum to the development of world education. Vice President Li Zhisheng focused on SWUFE’s "New Finance and Economics" strategic blueprint, emphasizing that the university will further advance educational openness while inheriting its cultural heritage, and will strive to build a high-level, cross-cultural academic community through collaborative talent cultivation, cutting-edge research, and mutual learning in humanities and culture. Vice President Mary Gorman highly commended the achievements of the in-depth, multidimensional cooperation between SWUFE and Baruch College, and expressed her expectation for further collaboration with SWUFE's SOA on its journey towards a new century.

On June 1, the delegation attended SWUFE's centenary celebration and the Chinese-Foreign University Presidents Forum. Vice President Mary Gorman delivered a keynote speech titled Reshaping Higher Education in the Global Digital Intelligence Era, highlighting how CUNY Baruch College is leveraging AI technology to support teaching and student services, as well as addressing the ethical considerations of using AI in higher education.

On the morning of June 2, the delegation participated in the "Assembling for a Century, Counting for the Future: Awarding Ceremony for Overseas Partners of the School of Accounting and the 15th Anniversary Celebration of the Sustainable Overseas Faculty Plan." The ceremony was attended by Ma Yongqiang, a Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Committee and Vice President of SWUFE, Huang Haibo, Director of the Human Resource Department, Tan Hongtao, Director of the Audit Department, Wang Yeting, Director of the Office of International Exchange and Cooperation, SOA's leadership team, and more than 20 faculty representatives from the Sustainable Overseas Faculty Plan. Vice President Ma Yongqiang, Vice President Mary Gorman, Director Suresh Govindaraj, and Professor YE Jianming each delivered speeches, reviewing the development of the Sustainable Overseas Faculty Plan since its launch in 2010. Over the past fifteen years, the program has selected more than 80 outstanding SWUFE students to pursue doctoral studies abroad in fields such as finance, accounting, and accounting information systems (AIS). Upon completing their studies, many have returned to SWUFE, emerging as promising scholars and key educators who have contributed to the university’s academic development with their international, cross-cultural perspectives. Ma Yongqiang awarded the commemorative plaques of "Pursuing Excellence, Practising Perseverance: The 15th Anniversary of the Sustainable Overseas Faculty Plan" to representatives from CUNY Baruch College and Rutgers University, and the "Ten Years of Glorious Chapters in the SWUFE-Baruch 3+1 Program: Spanning Ten Years and Writing a New Chapter Together" to CUNY Baruch College. Afterwards, alumni of the Sustainable Overseas Faculty Plan held an association event.

After the ceremony, Tang Xuesong, Dean of SOA, accompanied the visiting guests on a special centenary tour, engaging in in-depth, multi-dimensional discussions that further strengthened international partners' confidence in advancing comprehensive cooperation with SOA. As SWUFE embarks on its second century, SOA remains committed to strengthening its international education strategy and working with global partners to cultivate talent with global competence.