Dec 05, 2015
Academic Exchange among Afghan and Chinese Think-Tanks in China

Halimullah Kousary, Head of Research and Hekmatullah Azamy, Research Analyst the Centre for Conflict and Peace Studies (CAPS) were part of an Afghan academic delegation to China from 01-10 November 2015. The aim of the program was to promote academic exchanges among think tanks between Afghanistan and China. During the ten day visit, the delegation conducted academic exchanges with China Institute of International Studies in Beijing, Institute of South Asian Studies of the Sichuan University in Chengdu and Shanghai Institute of International Studies.

The first of its type, the exchange provided a platform for Afghan and Chinese scholars and researchers to interact with each other and discuss pressing issues in Afghanistan and their relevance to regional stakeholders. Among others, exchanges focused on the prospects of peace talks between the Afghan government and Taliban, operations of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Uyghur’s’ Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) and emergence of Islamic State (IS aka ISIS) in Afghanistan-Pakistan region and the threat all these militant actors pose not only to Afghanistan but to the broader region. The two sides also discussed mutual economic opportunities that the two neighbors can utilize.

Describing the initiative as important, the Afghan delegation called for its continuation and invited to host Chinese scholars and researchers in Afghanistan.