Chen Li (right) in France.

Born in Yichang, a prefecture-level city located in western Hubei Province, in 1977, Chen Li started to realize the close relationship between France and Wuhan, capital of Hubei, in his childhood. In 1995, he was accepted into the Department of World Economics at Wuhan University. At that time, Chinese people were not familiar with France's distinctive higher education system, but Wuhan University, as one of France's earliest educational partners, had abundant experience and resources for Sino-French exchanges. During his studies at Wuhan university, Chen set his sights on HEC Paris, a prestigious international business school in France, and resolutely moved to France after graduating in 1999. After completing further studies, he settled down in Paris.