On June 16, 2025, the Fifth Meeting of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Consortium of Universities Exchange Mechanism and the “Silk Road Wisdom” Conference on Jointly Building the China-Pakistan Knowledge Corridor were officially convened at Shenzhen University. The event was held under the guidance of the China Association of Higher Education and the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, and co-organized by the Institute of Area and International Communication Studies at Shenzhen University and the Chinese Secretariat of the CPEC Consortium of Universities Exchange Mechanism.
Academician Mao Junfa, President of Shenzhen University and Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Zhang Daliang, Vice President of the China Association of Higher Education; and Professor Jahanzeb Khan, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Balochistan and Head of the Pakistani University Delegation, attended the meeting and delivered speeches. Khalil Hashmi, Pakistani Ambassador to China, addressed the conference via video message. Also in attendance were: Safdar Ali Shah, Director of the CPEC Centre at the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan; Bilal Mahmood Chaudhry, Minister of the Pakistani Embassy in China; Sardar Muhammad, Consul General of Pakistan in Guangzhou; Wu Juan, Director of the Asia-Africa Division of the Department of International Cooperation and Exchange under the Ministry of Education; Chen Zhimin, Vice President of Fudan University; Hao Qingjie, Deputy Secretary-General of the China Association of Higher Education; Gao Xiaojie, Director of the Academic and Exchange Department of the Secretariat; Han Shuixian, Director of the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange at Shenzhen University; Dai Yonghong, Dean of the Institute of Area and International Communication Studies as well as the College of International Studies at Shenzhen University; and Xu Man, Executive Dean of the Institute of Area and International Communication Studies at Shenzhen University. The event brought together 150 representatives from nearly 100 universities in China and Pakistan to explore new approaches and models for higher education cooperation between the two countries in the new era.
President Mao Jun, CAS Academician, addresses the audience
On behalf of Shenzhen University, Mao Junfa extended a warm welcome to all distinguished guests and emphasized that this conference serves as a significant milestone for the higher education communities of China and Pakistan to deepen exchanges and forge shared development. As all-weather strategic cooperative partners, China and Pakistan enjoy profound friendship. The CPEC, a major pioneering initiative under the Belt and Road Initiative, has delivered tangible benefits to the peoples of both nations. Shenzhen University has been proactively serving the national strategy, leveraging its location advantages in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to promote regional economic and social development, while continuously deepening educational and technological collaboration with Pakistani universities and research institutions. Moving forward, the university will further expand exchanges and cooperation with Pakistani institutions to advance practical alignment and high-quality development in education and technology between the two countries.
Zhang Daliang, Vice President of the China Association of Higher Education
Zhang Daliang emphasized that China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners, setting a fine example for relations between developing nations. Over its eight-year evolution, the exchange mechanism has grown into a vital platform for interconnectivity, mutual learning, and collaboration between the higher education sectors of both countries, continuously expanding in scale, substance, and cooperative scope. The development of the upgraded version of the CPEC has created new opportunities. Both sides must keep pace with the times, innovate development strategies, and explore the establishment of university clusters to enhance the framework of the exchange mechanism. He called for fostering signature collaborative initiatives and jointly broadening the development landscape by introducing digital public goods such as standards for digital education and practical application guidelines, thereby cultivating influential and recognized cooperation brands. It is essential to consolidate the foundation of cooperation and share developmental achievements through organizing high-level talent training workshops and strengthening the China-Pakistan Youth Forum as a flagship initiative. Additionally, efforts should be made to promote cultural exchanges by establishing mechanisms such as exchange programs and summer schools, encouraging more young students to pursue studies in each other’s countries, and writing a new chapter in the friendship between China and Pakistan.
Jahanzeb Khan, Head of the Pakistani University Delegation and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Balochistan
Jahanzeb Khan stated that mutual respect between China and Pakistan serves as a crucial foundation for promoting cooperation within the exchange mechanism. In recent years, the mechanism has flourished with growing participation from Pakistani universities. Institutions from both sides have engaged in practical collaboration in joint research, student exchanges, and talent cultivation, demonstrating a strong commitment to deepening cooperation. Through collective efforts, the mechanism has achieved milestone outcomes, such as the establishment of the China-Pakistan Higher Education Research Center, contributing significantly to enhancing Pakistan’s capacity building. He noted that China has consistently championed peace and technological progress. Looking ahead, he expressed hope that both sides would strengthen collaboration in technological innovation and intellectual property protection to achieve mutual benefits, promote the sustainable development of the CPEC, and further deepen the friendship between the two peoples.
Khalil Hashmi, Pakistani Ambassador to China
Khalil Hashmi stated that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is not only a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative, but also a vital platform for deepening bilateral cooperation in education, technology, culture, and other fields. In recent years, universities from both sides have engaged in extensive collaboration in smart manufacturing, green technology, agricultural modernization, and other areas, establishing profound connections and achieving inspiring outcomes. Looking ahead, he expressed hope that under the framework of the exchange mechanism, both countries would further deepen talent cultivation and scientific research cooperation through initiatives such as degree education programs and jointly established laboratories. He emphasized promoting exchanges between faculty and students in applied sciences, artificial intelligence, and policy innovation, advancing industry-academia-research collaboration, and continuously injecting new impetus into the long-term development of CPEC.
Chen Zhimin, Vice President of Fudan University, and Safdar Ali Shah, Director of the CPEC Centre at the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, delivered work reports on behalf of the Chinese and Pakistani secretariats of the exchange mechanism respectively. The meeting featured the release of the exchange mechanism’s development report for the period 2021-2024, along with the list of newly admitted member universities. Additionally, the Consortium of Think Tanks under the exchange mechanism was officially launched.
Dai Yonghong, Dean of the Institute of Area and International Communication Studies and the College of International Studies at Shenzhen University, moderated the case study session. University leaders and representatives from the following institutions shared their experiences in China-Pakistan higher education cooperation: NUST, Pakistan; Fudan University; Pak-Austria Fachhochschule: Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology; Zhejiang University; COMSATS University Islamabad; Yunnan University; National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences (NUCES), Pakistan; Henan Normal University; and University of Gwadar.
Twenty-three experts and scholars from Chinese and Pakistani member universities engaged in in-depth discussions at the China-Pakistan University Think Tank Forum and the China-Pakistan Youth Forum, focusing on two key themes: “Deepening the All-Weather Strategic Partnership Between China and Pakistan in a Changing Global Landscape” and “Building a Shared China-Pakistan Narrative Through Cross-Cultural Communication.”
First Reviewer: Fu Le
Second Reviewer: Xu Man
Third Reviewer: Dai Yonghong
