🎉 Ten years ago today, on April 29, 2016, a unique institution was born. The China-championed Institute of South-South Cooperation and Development (ISSCAD) has spent the past decade quietly shaping the future of international development. And now, its impact is louder than ever.
This week, Peking University hosted a high-level Global South Sustainable Development Forum to mark ISSCAD's 10th anniversary. Diplomats, scholars, and graduates gathered to reflect on a journey of building bridges between developing nations.
"The collective voice of the Global South is not a whisper, but a force reshaping global governance," declared Abigail Shoniwa, Zimbabwe's ambassador to China. She highlighted that the Global South now accounts for over 40% of the world's GDP and nearly 60% of its population.
So, what exactly has ISSCAD been doing? Think of it as the ultimate talent incubator for the developing world. Over the past decade, it has trained more than 500 master's and doctoral graduates from over 80 countries. Over 30 of these alumni now hold vice-ministerial-level positions in their home governments.
"They act as a vital bridge," said Feleke Kebede Bedada from the Ethiopian Embassy in China, praising the alumni network.
The institute's founding dean, Justin Lin Yifu, emphasized that as the world undergoes major transformations, solidarity among Global South nations is more critical than ever to tackle shared challenges.
The impact goes beyond the classroom. Eric Dodoo-Amoo, a 2022 doctoral graduate who now heads the China Desk at Ghana's Ministry of Finance, observed a significant shift. Cooperation has evolved from financing and infrastructure to deep knowledge sharing and technology partnerships.
He pointed to a major policy move as an example: Starting May 1, 2026, China will expand zero-tariff treatment to all African countries that have diplomatic relations with it, including 20 new nations like Ghana. Dodoo-Amoo called this "potentially transformative," opening doors for industrial planning and investment far beyond simple trade.
A decade in, ISSCAD's mission of fostering South-South cooperation through education and dialogue is proving its worth—equipping leaders to build a more balanced and sustainable future for the Global South. 🌍🤝
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China-championed institute bolsters South-South cooperation decade on
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