A roundtable titled Ideas for Shanghai was held at the Gubei Civic Center in Changning district on July 14, bringing together a diverse group of international residents.

More than 20 expats from Austria, Belgium, Italy, India, Nepal, Serbia, South Korea, the United Kingdom, the United States, and other countries shared suggestions for Shanghai's high-quality development, drawing on their personal work and life experiences.

The international guests comprised business leaders, media professionals, entrepreneurs, and international students, many of whom have resided in Shanghai for more than two decades. Their conversation centered on improving the business climate, creating a more livable city, and boosting cultural and tourism experiences.

Jessica Gleeson, chief executive officer of BrighterBeauty from the United States, focused on one-person companies, a new form of AI-enabled solo entrepreneurship. She proposed a convenient one-stop government service to provide international entrepreneurs with professional guidance on legal, financial, and tax matters, as well as industrial policy.

Nepal-born orthopedic surgeon Ashish Maskay of Shanghai United Family Healthcare called for further improvements to Shanghai's public services for international residents. He said these improvements would make the city more attractive and help more international residents feel at ease while working and living in Shanghai.

Maskay described Shanghai as one of the world's most open and international cities and expressed hope that every visitor and foreign resident would serve as an ambassador for the city.

Filip Filipovic, a Serbian PhD student at Fudan University, gained online attention for a video clip about Shanghai's revolutionary heritage. He proposed recruiting foreign volunteers to help share that heritage with international audiences and to strengthen the city's global cultural profile.

Belgian musician Tobias Le Compte said he hopes to help Shanghai farce and other forms of Haipai (Shanghai-style) culture reach overseas audiences. He proposed street flash-mob performances at major cultural and tourism landmarks such as Yuyuan Garden and Waitanyuan to expand the international influence of Haipai culture.

During the event, the "Ideas for Shanghai at Gubei International Community" contact point was launched, giving international residents a direct channel to share ideas and promoting international exchange.