On January 10, 2025, the UP School of Economics (UPSE) and the Philippine Center for Economic Development (PCED) hosted a seminar titled “A Holistic View on Deprivatization” from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM at the Riingen Informatics IT Lab. The event featured Prof. Qian Sun, Professor of Finance and Chair of the Department of Finance at Fudan University’s School of Management. 

Prof. Sun, who holds a Ph.D. from Arizona State University, is also a member of the Asian Shadow Financial Regulatory Committee, which provides policy recommendations on Asia-Pacific financial markets.

Prof. Sun presented his research on deprivatization among Chinese firms from 2006 to 2023. His findings challenged the common belief that deprivatization mainly addresses private ownership limitations. Instead, it often stems from a need for government support and protection. The study also revealed that deprivatization and selling ownership to private entities can act as substitutes, with no clear performance benefits for deprivatized firms afterward.

The seminar sparked meaningful discussions on the implications of deprivatization for privatization policies and China’s ongoing mixed ownership reform. Prof. Sun’s insights provided valuable perspectives for understanding these complex economic transitions.