The 27th Session of the "Cooperation and Development" Lecture Series by the SCO Research Institute of Shandong University Successfully Held

On the morning of September 24, the 27th session of the "Cooperation and Development" Lecture Series, co-hosted by the School of Political Science and Public Administration (PSPA) of Shandong University, the SCO Research Institute of Shandong University, the Public Security Research Institute of Shandong University, and the China-SCO Institute of Economics and Trade, was held in the South Building of Huagangyuan. With the theme "Education and Science & Technology Cooperation among SCO Member States After the SCO Tianjin Summit", the lecture was delivered by Almazbek Beishenaliev, Director of the Central Asian Research Institute of Kyrgyzstan. Sheng Li, Distinguished Professor of SPSPA and Executive Director of the SCO Research Institute of Shandong University, presided over the lecture. Relevant teachers and students from SPSPA and the Law School actively participated in this academic exchange event.

Before the lecture, Li Haiyan, Secretary of the Party Committee of PSPA, extended a welcome to Almazbek Beishenaliev and presented him with the appointment letter as a Senior Research Fellow of the SCO Research Institute of Shandong University.

At the beginning of the lecture, Almazbek Beishenaliev systematically reviewed the various contributions of Central Asia as a global knowledge hub in history, and emphasized the enlightenment of the Silk Road spirit for contemporary regional cooperation. He also looked back on the development course of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which started with the "Shanghai Five" mechanism in 1996, and pointed out that the SCO has evolved from a border security cooperation mechanism into a comprehensive regional organization covering multiple fields such as politics, economy, education, and science & technology.

In addition, he analyzed the strategic significance of the SCO in promoting regional stability, counter-terrorism cooperation, and economic integration, and introduced the key agenda of Kyrgyzstan during its term as the rotating chair of the SCO in 2026. He stressed that the SCO serves as a "bridge of civilizations" connecting China and Central Asia. Regarding education and science & technology cooperation, he put forward a series of proposals, including establishing an SCO Higher Education Council, promoting mutual recognition of academic qualifications and joint academic degrees, setting up postdoctoral mobile stations and youth leadership programs, co-building an "Digital Silk Road" innovation accelerator, and strengthening the protection of cultural heritage and Sinology research. He called for narrowing the development gap and building long-term social capital through joint research, talent mobility, and shared digital infrastructure.

During the interactive exchange session, teachers and students conducted in-depth discussions on issues such as the feasibility of Afghanistan's accession to the SCO, the impact of India-Pakistan relations on the organization, the SCO mechanism, and the future development direction of the SCO. Sheng Li expressed gratitude to Almazbek Beishenaliev for his attendance and sharing. In his summary, he pointed out that the SCO plays a key role in building an "Education and Science & Technology Community" and has potential leading influence in the innovation system of Eurasia.

This lecture provided a valuable exchange platform for teachers and students to gain an in-depth understanding of the prospects for science & technology and education cooperation among SCO member states after the SCO Summit. The SPSPA of Shandong University is committed to providing high-quality professional and disciplinary resources at home and abroad for teachers and students, and hopes that all teachers and students of the school will continue to pay attention to the school's information and the "Cooperation and Development" Lecture Series of the SCO Research Institute.