Conference Agenda

Problem Statement and Purpose: Primary-level governance refers to policies and actions aimed at villages, towns, and communities, serving grassroots people, coordinating social relations, resolving social conflicts, and promoting social stability. As the capital of China and an international metropolis, primary-level governance in Beijing holds significant implications for the well-being of its vast citizenry and the long-term stability of the nation, garnering widespread attention. Published literature mainly focuses on exemplary cases and innovative approaches of current primary-level governance in Beijing, yet lacks a comprehensive examination of its evolutionary process and underlying development logic, hindering our ability to grasp its experience from a long-term historical vantage lens. This study delves into the historical evolution of governance units, subjects, and instruments, uncovering how primary-level governance in Beijing strives for the goal of good governance in response to societal development demands. It summarizes the experiences and patterns observed, offering empirical insights for enhancing regional governance practices.

Methodology: This study adopts a qualitative research approach, combining historical institutional analysis with policy text analysis. It systematically reviews official policy documents on primary-level governance in Beijing since 1949, complemented by typical case studies, to identify the development logic of primary-level governance in Beijing.

Finding: This article showcases three evolutionary trends in primary-level governance in Beijing. (1) The spatialization of governance units, marking a transition from governance centered on groups or organizations to a governance framework anchored in spatial units. (2) The diversification of governance entities, signifying a shift from singular government governance to a collaborative governance structure involving the government, market, social organizations, scholars, and citizens, all under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. (3) The technological transformation of governance methods, entailing a move away from traditional, relationship-based, and routine governance strategies towards technological governance distinguished by refinement, informatization, and quantification.

Proposal: To further enhance primary-level governance, this study proposes: (1) recognizing the complexity of grassroots society by adopting a heterogeneity-oriented perspective in community governance; (2) being mindful of the spatial limits of grassroots governance so as to overcome the fallacy of spatial determinism; and (3) strengthening the construction of grassroots governance systems to ensure the coordinated improvement of governance capacity and governance institutions.

Problem Statement and Purpose

Skilled migration is a global phenomenon that challenges national institutional capacities to ensure equitable labor integration. In Latin America, the Venezuelan exodus has tested public governance frameworks in several countries, particularly regarding professional credential recognition, access to formal employment, and inter-institutional coordination. In Chile, although a legal framework promotes integration, bureaucratic barriers, structural informality, and limited articulation among state actors, private sector, and civil society hinder its implementation. This research focuses on the Valparaíso Region to analyze how these tensions reflect state deficits in addressing a transnational issue through collaborative governance approaches. The aim is to provide empirical evidence to support the design of migration policies sensitive to international dimensions, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and transferable to other contexts. The study highlights the need to move toward more integrated and adaptive governance schemes capable of responding to complex and shared challenges among nations, particularly in leveraging migrant human capital as a driver for sustainable development.

Methodology

The study employed a qualitative, exploratory methodology based on semi-structured interviews with 15 key actors: skilled Venezuelan migrants in Valparaíso, NGO representatives, public officials, and HR professionals. Open, axial, and selective coding was conducted using Atlas.ti software. This approach enabled the identification of core categories linked to structural barriers and facilitators of labor integration. Data triangulation provided a multisectoral perspective that incorporates both institutional frameworks and lived experiences—essential to understanding the phenomenon from an inclusive, multilevel governance perspective.

Findings

The study identified four main barriers: complex validation of foreign degrees, fragmented bureaucracy, high labor informality, and lack of coordinated policies. Facilitators included individual resilience, willingness to learn, and support from social networks. A gap was found between an integrative legal framework and its fragmented implementation, hindering effective use of migrant human capital. These tensions mirror challenges seen in other host countries, opening space for transferable solutions and more effective labor governance models in international skilled migration contexts.

Proposal

Five strategic lines are proposed: (1) developing a regional system for credential recognition through multilateral agreements; (2) creating digital employment platforms prioritizing skilled migrant profiles; (3) establishing mentorship networks between experienced and newly arrived migrants; (4) promoting diversity and inclusion certifications within companies; and (5) institutionalizing co-production spaces between government and civil society. These proposals transcend national boundaries and promote collaborative, sustainable, and regionally replicable approaches. They contribute to achieving the SDGs and offer actionable insights for inclusive governance systems in response to global migration challenges.

The International Central Legal District (CLD) represents a new clustered form of legal service industry agglomeration. The development of CLDs, with an emphasis on integrated growth alongside Central Business Districts (CBDs), reflects a common trend in the industrial structure evolution of global metropolises toward higher-tier advancement.

First, it is essential to grasp the key characteristics and practical experiences of world-class CLD models, with Manhattan in New York and London’s financial district serving as prime examples. Mature CLDs exhibit three defining features: (1) high industrial agglomeration, (2) functional synergy effects, and (3) talent attraction effects. For instance, Manhattan’s CBD and London’s financial district host top-tier law firms, tens of thousands of elite lawyers, and high-quality legal services.

Second, this study examines China’s exploration in establishing CLDs, analyzing their practical value and challenges. China’s CLD development primarily focuses on advancing public legal services to meet public demand. However, operational issues persist, such as (1) insufficient integration between CLDs and CBDs, (2) lagging progress in legal culture education, and (3) inadequate supporting services for public legal services, all of which require urgent resolution.

Third, this paper proposes pathways to promote the construction of international CLDs, with a case study on Tianfu Central Legal District (China). Three key recommendations are presented:

Co-construction: CLDs and CBDs should interact effectively to establish a “legal-business resonance” model.

Co-development: CLDs should be built alongside local rule-of-law demonstration zones to form an “optimal public legal service network”.

Co-incubation: CLDs should cultivate high-end legal talent while advancing administrative civilization, thereby creating a new safeguard for legal practice.