On October 28, 2023, the inaugural China-Arab Forum on Global Development and Governance was held at Fudan University. Jin Li, President of Fudan University, Amr Salama, Secretary-General of the Association of Arab Universities, President of China Association of Higher Education, attended and delivered welcome speeches. Faraj Alajmi, Director of the Education and Scientific Research Department of the League of Arab States, Nathir Obeidat, President of the University of Jordan, Ghada Farouk Hassan, Acting President of Ain Shams University, Chen Zhimin, Vice President of Fudan University, Yi Yonggang, Vice President of Shanghai International Studies University, as well as important guests from China, the Arab States, and around the globe attended the forum. The forum aimed to deepen and expand cooperation between China and Arab countries in the fields of higher education and scientific research in the new circumstances. The opening ceremony was chaired by  Vice President Chen Zhimin.

The inaugural forum: deepen cooperation between China and Arab countries in the fields of higher education and scientific research under the new circumstances.

President Jin Li pointed out that it is a shared responsibility of China and Arab countries to improve global governance that delivers equity, justice, security, safety, and prosperity to all countries and global citizens. In collaboration with the LAS, AArU and Arab universities, Fudan University is willing to develop innovative bilateral and multilateral educational and research programs and to establish best practices and benchmark programs. Fudan puts cooperation with Arab universities as one major priority in its globalization strategy.

Secretary-General Salama pointed out that convening the China-Arab Forum reaffirms the deep-rooted historical and cultural ties between the Arab world and China. As an open platform for dialogue and intellectual exchange, the forum explored solutions to global challenges related to trade, technology, and development, which are faced jointly by China and the Arab States.

China-Arab States cooperation holds the promise of a bright future. This forum may uphold the spirit of friendship between China and Arab States, engage in dialogue with utmost clarity, exchange ideas in an intimate manner, and collaborate through pragmatic actions. It helps forge a closer partnership, infuse new vitality into the Belt and Road Initiative, and make even greater contributions to building a community with a shared future for China and Arab States.

During the Forum of University Presidents, President Jin Li, President Obeidat, Acting President Hassan, and Vice President Yi Yonggang shared the development strategies and internationalization initiatives of their respective universities. The Forum of University Presidents was chaired by Peng Xizhe, professor and Chairman of the Academic Committee of Fudan Institute for Global Public Policy.

During the keynote speech session,Director Faraj emphasized that the China-Arab Forum serves as a platform for discussion and exchange of experiences, as well as for initiating new projects, plans, and initiatives in the field of higher education. It also presents an opportunity to strengthen the China-Arab relationship and establish new partnerships between the two sides. The Secretary-General of the Arab League expressed his expectation for enhanced cooperation and the implementation of the strategic cooperation agreement signed on that day. The Arab League is committed to promoting mutually beneficial cooperation between Arab countries and stakeholders in China in the fields of higher education, technology and vocational education, and scientific research. Sahraoui, Director General of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences, Zheng Yu, Professor of Fudan University, and Alvoro Mendez, Professor of the London School of Political Economy delivered speeches on topics related to South-South cooperation. The keynote speech session was moderated by Professor Walid Salameh, Senior Consultant of the Association of Arab Universities.

Signing the agreement: A series of innovative and leading China-Arab higher education and scientific research projects will be established to promote a new level of cooperation between Chinese and Arab universities.

As the latest achievement in China-Arab higher education cooperation, President Jin Li and Director Faraj signed a strategic cooperation agreement on behalf of Fudan University and the LAS, witnessed by Secretary-General Salama.

According to the agreement, both parties will closely collaborate to promote the establishment of a series of innovative and leading China-Arab higher education and scientific research projects, taking China-Arab university cooperation to a new level. The Arab League will support Fudan University in hosting the annual China-Arab Forum on Global Development and Governance, establishing jointly with AARU the Fudan-Arab Research Centre for Global Development and Governance, establishing benchmark talent development programs for Arab countries, setting up the China-Arab Network of Schools of Public Policy and Administration (CANSPPA), and conducting training programs for Arab professionals and other cooperative projects. Jing Yijia, Dean of the Institute for Global Public Policy at Fudan University, chaired the signing ceremony.

To promote high-quality research and academic cooperation, Fudan University and the Arab Universities Association established the Fudan-Arab Research Centre on Global Development and Governance and held an inauguration ceremony during the forum. President Jin Li, Secretary-General Salama and Director Faraj jointly unveiled the nameplate of the Centre. The Centre will serve as a platform for creating, sharing, and disseminating knowledge between China and Arab countries to promote collaborative research and academic activities in various global public affairs fields and facilitate innovative cooperation between Fudan University and Arab countries.

Given Secretary-General Salama's outstanding academic achievements, educational administrative experience, and significant contributions to promoting China-Arab higher education cooperation, Fudan University's Academic Committee approved the appointment of him as an honorary professor of Fudan University. On behalf of Fudan University, President Jin Li presented Secretary-General Salama with the certificate of honorary professor.

President Jin Li signed MOUs with President Obeidat and Acting President Hassan. Dean Jing Yijia, along with Noha Moustafa Elmekawy, Dean of the School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the American University in Cairo, and Hamid Ali, Dean of the School of Economics, Administration, and Public Policy at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, signed MOUs. President Jin Li, Secretary-General Salama, Director Faraj, and Vice President Chen Zhimin witnessed the signing ceremony. Lu Li’an, Director of the Fudan Office of Global Partnerships, presided over the signing ceremony.

As the leading institution in the field of public policy under the China-Arab “10+10” university cooperation framework, the Fudan Institute for Global Public Policy initiated the establishment of the “China-Arab Network of Schools of Public Policy and Administration (CANSPPA) and held its inaugural ceremony during the forum. Representatives from 12 founding institutions, including the UAEU, Peking University, Dalian University of Technology, the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, Fudan University, the American University in Cairo, Nanjing University, Tsinghua University, City University of Hong Kong, University of Jordan, the Middle East and North Africa Public Administration Research Network, and Sun Yat-sen University, attended the inaugural ceremony.

The forum had the League of Arab States as a special supporting organization, and the Association of Arab Universities and the China Higher Education Association as two guiding organizations. It was hosted by Fudan University and organized by the Fudan University Institute for Global Public Policy, and the Fudan Office of Global Partnerships.

The forum consisted of three sub-forums: the China-Arab Network of Schools of Public Policy and Administration sub-forum hosted by the Institute for Global Public Policy and the Fudan-Arab Research Centre on Global Development and Governance; the New Frontiers of Theory and Practice in Controlling Corruption hosted by the Institute for Global Public Policy, Hong Kong International Academy Against Corruption, and Fudan Institute for Discipline Inspection and Supervision; and the China-Arab Legal Cooperation under the Belt & Road Initiative hosted by Fudan University Law School.