The NYU Shanghai REITs Advanced Certificate Program concluded its inaugural session on November 17 with a cohort of participants coming from a variety of professional backgrounds. The program, launched by the NYU Institute for Cities and Real Estate in Emerging Markets at NYU Shanghai (ICREEM), featured a diverse faculty roster, including senior professors, experienced adjunct professors, research fellows from NYU and NYU Shanghai, and industry experts as well as REITs corporate executives.
At the program’s opening, NYU Shanghai Vice Chancellor Jeffrey Lehman welcomed participants to the New Bund campus, noting that the program connects them to resources and support from NYU’s Schack Institute of Real Estate, exemplifying the mission of the University. “Schack has been running its REITs center since 1998, and now REITs are starting to become popular in China. So, it’s entirely fitting that NYU Shanghai serves as a bridge between the US history, the US context, and the Chinese market, which is both similar and different,” he said.
During the eight-day course, participants explored global trends in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and the development path of REITs in China. The curriculum covered the historical evolution and performance of REITs in the US and Asian markets, emphasizing the core characteristics of Chinese REITs, structural design, initiation processes, underlying asset selection, valuation and pricing, legal and tax frameworks, asset management, and capital operations, etc.
Leading industry figures, including Yufeng Capital Chairman and CEO Feng Lun, Ping’An Real Estate COO Alfreda Zeng, Tishman Speyer (China) MD and COO Cindy Xin, Executive Chairman of China REITs Alliance Gang Wang, shared their industry insights on real estate and REITs with participants, offering valuable guidance on business transformation and career development.
Right: Executive Director of ICREEM Guohua Jean Zhang
NYU Shanghai Chancellor Tong Shijun, Dean of Graduate and Advanced Education Eric Mao, and ICREEM Executive Director Guohua Jean Zhang attended the closing ceremony, delivering speeches to congratulate participants on completing the course. Together with Feng Lun, Chancellor Tong presented graduation certificates to those who successfully completed the program.