On August 8, a delegation from the China-SCO Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Area (SCODA), led by Mr. Song Xiaojie, Member of the Party Working Committee and Deputy Director of the Administrative Committee, visited the School for discussions. The delegation included officials from the Department of Industrial Development, the Department of International Cooperation and Exchange, and the Qingdao International Energy Exchange Center. The meeting was chaired by Professor Wang Jun, with SEM Party Secretary Zhu Hua, Vice Dean Zhang Mingming, and faculty representatives from related disciplines in attendance.
In her welcome remarks, Zhu Hua extended a warm greeting to Mr. Song and his team, highlighting SEM’s achievements in disciplinary development, talent cultivation, and scientific research—particularly its nearly 70 years of dedication to energy economics and management in support of national strategies. She emphasized that serving the development of SCODA has become an important mission for SEM, as part of its broader commitment to national and regional development. Leveraging the University’s disciplinary strength in energy and the “Belt and Road” energy cooperation platform, SEM will further build its distinctive strengths in energy economics and energy finance, and pursue organized collaboration with SCODA in talent development, research, think-tank services, and international cooperation, contributing intellectual strength to SCODA, especially to the construction of the Qingdao International Energy Exchange Center.
Mr. Song Xiaojie elaborated on SCODA’s strategic positioning and development pathway, stressing its mission to drive institutional openness and innovation. He noted that SCODA is advancing the high-standard development of the strategic project known as the “Four Centers and One Academy,” and highlighted the urgent need for universities to play a strong think tank role—particularly in areas such as international trade rule innovation and cross-border energy cooperation mechanisms.
Representatives including Yu Bing, Deputy Director of the Office of Cooperation and Development and Deputy Director of the Serving Shandong Office; Zhuang Weidong, Deputy Director of the First Division of Industrial Development at SCODA; and Li Quanyan, General Manager of the Qingdao International Energy Exchange Center, gave detailed introductions on their respective areas of responsibility. Professor Wang Jun emphasized that SEM will align with SCODA’s development needs, integrate resources, enhance collaboration, and conduct research to address practical challenges of high-quality development, thereby contributing to Qingdao, serving Shandong, and supporting the nation.
During the discussion session, Professors Li Yongbo, Gao Xinwei, Huang Changsheng, and Liu Zongming offered insights on SCODA and the International Energy Exchange Center, while Vice Dean Zhang Mingming shared ideas and proposals for deepening collaboration. Both sides engaged in thorough discussions on cooperative initiatives, including policy research, market development, product promotion, trading rule innovation, and cross-border talent cultivation, and reached important consensus. They agreed that SEM and SCODA enjoy broad prospects, strong potential, and a high level of strategic alignment. Both sides will work to establish a normalized, multi-level cooperation mechanism, strengthen joint efforts in key technological innovation and high-end talent cultivation, and build an internationally influential platform for open collaboration.
It is worth noting that in June 2018, President Xi Jinping announced at the 18th Meeting of the Council of Heads of Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization that China would support the establishment of SCODA in Qingdao. In July 2019, the ninth meeting of the Central Committee for Deepening Overall Reform approved the Overall Plan for the Construction of the China-SCO Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Area. SCODA focuses on building an International Logistics Center, a Modern Trade Center, a Two-Way Investment Center, a Business–Tourism–Cultural Exchange Center, and the SCO Economic and Trade Academy—collectively known as the “Four Centers and One Academy”—to create a new platform for international cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative.
