Dean Zeng Xiangquan delivered a speech at the Centre for International Human Resource Management (CIHRM), University of Cambridge, on the afternoon of 23 July 2012 (local time). This was the first time that a Chinese scholar was invited to speak at the CIHRM. Dr. Philip Stiles, Co-Director of the CIHRM, chaired this speech. Professor William Brown, CBE, the Chair of the Faculty of Humanity and Social Sciences and the Master of Darwin College, Professor Malcolm Warner, renowned expert on China’s Industrial Relations and HRM, Dr. Jonathan Trevor, Co-Director of the CIHRM, as well as scholars and students from the Faculty of Economics, Judge Business School and Faculty of Education, attended this seminar.

The topic of Dean Zeng’s speech was ‘To Create China’s New Advantages of Human Resources—Challenges and Resolutions in China’s Labor Market’. Professor Zeng first introduced the dramatic changes recently taking place in China's labor market. He then pointed out that China's labor market was confronted with great challenges. Via the analysis of China Institute for Employment Research (CIER) Index, Professor Zeng then made several judgments on China's labor market. At the end of his speech, Professor Zeng summarized Chinese government policies and measures against these challenges. He also identified how Chinese enterprises should react to these challenges. The speech lasted for one hour. After the speech, scholars and students were very active and raised many questions in the Q&A session.

CIHRM is a world leading HRM research institution. Scholars invited to speak at CIHRM included Professor Geert Hofstede, Tilburg University, Professor Patrick Wright, Cornell University, Professor Susan C. Schneider, HEC University of Geneva, Professor David Guest, University of Reading, and Professor Lynda Gratton, London Business School.
Prior to the speech, Professor William Brown, CBE, the Chair of the Faculty of Humanity and Social Sciences and the Master of Darwin College, met Dean Zeng Xiangquan and others from the SLHR at the Darwin College.