The Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies to formalize and expand academic and policy collaboration between the two institutions. The agreement establishes a framework for long-term cooperation on joint research, policy dialogue, academic exchanges, co-publications and shared participation in regional and global seminars and conferences.
The MoU was signed in Shanghai on the sidelines of a high-level seminar on development and cooperation between China and South Asian countries, which convened scholars, experts and policymakers to discuss contemporary global and regional challenges. Senior officials and scholars from both institutions attended the signing ceremony.
Ambassador Sohail Mahmood, Director General of ISSI, and Professor Chen Dongxiao, President of SIIS, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organizations. The MoU is designed to institutionalize links between ISSI and one of China’s leading policy-oriented think tanks, creating a structured platform for sustained engagement.
Under the terms of the agreement, the two institutes will pursue joint research projects, facilitate academic exchanges, co-author publications and organize or participate in conferences and seminars on topics of mutual interest. The partnership aims to foster regular policy dialogue and strengthen the exchange of ideas and expertise.
In remarks at the ceremony, Ambassador Sohail Mahmood emphasized the importance of enhanced academic and intellectual engagement between Pakistan and China amid significant geopolitical and geo-economic shifts, describing the MoU as a foundation for sustained collaboration and knowledge sharing. Professor Chen Dongxiao welcomed the partnership and affirmed SIIS’s commitment to expanding research cooperation across a wide range of themes, noting that closer academic linkages would further enrich China–Pakistan relations.
Observers say the ISSI–SIIS partnership represents a significant step in strengthening scholarly and policy-oriented exchanges between Pakistan and China and is expected to contribute to deeper bilateral understanding and more informed regional dialogue through collaborative research and publications.
