In an aim to discuss bilateral education cooperation, nearly 100 higher education institutions from China and Pakistan attended the 5th Exchange Mechanism Conference of the CPEC Consortium of Universities at Shenzhen University from June 15-16.
In his opening remarks, Shenzhen University President Mao Junfa stated that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has expanded from an economic project into a platform for educational and technological exchange.
Bazai Zahoor Ahmad, leader of the Pakistani delegation and Vice Chancellor of the University of Balochistan, said that the consortium has grown to 134 member institutions (91 Pakistani and 43 Chinese) since its 2017 establishment. “Our partnership… must now deepen collaboration in AI, agriculture, and healthcare,” he said. Discussions among scholars from institutions such as Pakistan’s National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) and Abdul Wali Khan University focused on applied talent development, agricultural cooperation, and AI education. Naveed Razzaq of the University of Gwadar’s CPEC Study Center commented on the event’s potential to strengthen ties between Shenzhen and Gwadar.
Conference outcomes included the launch of a 2021-2024 development report and the establishment of a new think tank network. The consortium’s membership has also expanded since its last conference in 2021.
