On the evening of May 15, 2019, the lecture on “Women and M & A” was successfully held in the fourth lecture theatre of the Gewu Building, Changping Campus, China University of Political Science and Law. The lecture was delivered by Professor Afra Afsharipour, Senior Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at the University of California, Davis School of Law, and chaired by Associate Professor Zhu Xiaojuan, Deputy Director of the Institute of Business Law, Civil and Commercial Economic Law School, reviewed by Ren Qiming and Dr. An Jincheng, from the Institute of Business Law, the Civil and Commercial Economic Law School, translated by student Xia Biying. More than 100 teachers and students attended the lecture.

At the beginning of the lecture, the host Associate Professor Zhu Xiaojuan gave a brief introduction to Professor Afra Afsharipour. Professor Afra Afsharipour received her Ph.D. from Columbia University in the United States, and her main research fields are comparative corporate law, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions and transaction law.

During the lecture, Professor Afra Afsharipour first introduced the important status of M & A transactions. Then, she introduced the complexity of M & A transactions from various regulatory systems and introduced participants in M & A transactions in detail. The professor also mentioned the problems that might arise for financial advisors’ participation in M & A transactions. Regarding Women and M&A, the professor mentioned the issue of gender diversity in the global board of directors, and addressed her view on whether gender diversity can achieve better effect in the role of mergers and acquisitions. Finally, she introduced some plans to change the gender singularity of the board of directors, and put forward suggestions such as share holder diversity, board diversity, and office diversity.

During the review part, Professor Afra Afsharipour exchanged views with Ren Qiming and Dr. An Jincheng. In the collision of each other’s thinking, the students learned a lot.

During the questioning part, Professor Afra Afsharipour patiently answered the questions raised by students, and the students also gained a deeper understanding of the relationship between Women and M&A.

At the end of the session, the organizer presented a gift to the professor, and the lecture ended in a brisk and harmonious atmosphere.