The Forum on SCO Country People-to-People Exchange 2022 was recently inaugurated in Qingdao.

The forum aimed to promote the construction of the SCO Demonstration Zone, focused on facilitating cooperation in education and people-to-people exchange between Qingdao and the SCO member states and the countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, and boosted friendly people-to-people exchanges. Around 40 guests from the SCO member states have exchanged mutual opinions in the basic education sub-forum named “people-to-people exchanges promote inclusive, equitable and quality education”, the vocational education sub-forum named “advance training of digital professionals, stimulate local economic development” and the higher education sub-forum named “Higher education cooperation and international talent cultivation among the SCO member states”. Over 700 representatives from colleges and universities or think tank experts from the SCO member states and the friendship cities of Qingdao attended the event virtually.

In the forum, the China Center for International People-to-People Exchange, Ministry of Education and the Qingdao People’s Municipal Government jointly issued the Qingdao Initiative on Promoting Education Cooperation and People-to-people Exchanges among the SCO Member States. It is proposed in the initiative to deepen exchanges in education, strengthen pragmatic cooperation, stay committed to innovation-driven development, advance undertakings, stick to mutual learning, promote friendly people-to-people exchanges, advocate transformation and upgrading, and make most of digital technology.  (Zhao Li)