On December 4, the Third Global South Think Tanks Dialogue opened at the Shanghai International Convention Center. During the event, the Secretariat of the Global South Think Tanks Alliance was officially inaugurated. It was announced that the Secretariat will be based at Fudan University, with its daily operations managed by Fudan’s School of International Relations and Public Affairs (SIRPA).
CHEN Zhou, Vice Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee; HUA Yuan, Secretary-General of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee; JIN Li, President of Fudan University; Mahamadou Nouhou Bako, Director of the National Centre for Strategic and Security Studies of Niger; Olimpia Ochoa, Deputy Minister for External Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nicaragua; and Almaz Abildayev, Director of the “Energy Aspects of Kazakhstan” Research Centre jointly unveiled the plaque for the Secretariat.
At the ceremony, JIN Xin, Assistant Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, summarized the Alliance’s work in 2025 and released its joint research reports. One of these, titled “Build a Global Community of Civilization: Towards a World of Harmony Among Diverse Civilizations Through Mutual Learning,” was a collaborative effort between scholars from Fudan University’s SIRPA and their counterparts from Russia, Indonesia, South Africa, Pakistan, Egypt, South Korea, Vietnam, and the United Arab Emirates. The report advocates for inter-civilizational dialogue to foster a global community where diverse human civilizations coexist in harmony.
In his remarks, President JIN Li began by expressing gratitude for the trust placed in the university. He noted that Fudan was among the first Chinese universities to establish a BRICS research center. Building on this legacy, Fudan remains committed to building a robust think tank network, expanding international ties, and strengthening specialized research. He highlighted the university’s success in cultivating scholars dedicated to Global South studies and producing high-impact policy advisory reports. A notable example is the Global State Development Drivers Index. Looking ahead, Fudan is optimizing its disciplinary system to align with national strategic needs, with key initiatives planned for the 15th Five-Year Plan period. The university aims to work closely with Alliance members to contribute wisdom toward the modernization of Global South countries and the construction of a fairer international order.
The morning dialogue brought together nearly 400 scholars from the Global South. In the afternoon, four parallel sub-forums were held. Parallel Session II, themed “Uphold Fundamental Principles and Break New Ground for Better Global Governance Through Reform,” was hosted by Fudan University and presided over by Fudan’s Vice President CHEN Zhimin. Leading up to the event, an exchange session was held at SIRPA, where international experts engaged in deep discussions with Fudan faculty and students regarding development visions and pathways to modernization.
Headquartered at Fudan: What Key Role Will the Secretariat Play?
The establishment of the Global South Think Tanks Alliance stems from a major initiative proposed by Chinese President XI Jinping at the “BRICS Plus” Leaders’ Dialogue in Kazan, Russia. Formally established on November 14, 2024, the platform is led by the International Department of the CPC Central Committee and was jointly initiated by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, China Media Group, Fudan University, Tsinghua University, Renmin University of China, and more than 200 domestic and international think tanks and universities.
As the Alliance’s executive body, the Secretariat is dedicated to facilitating exchanges and cooperation among Chinese and international member institutions within the Alliance framework, providing resource support for knowledge exchange, personnel interaction, and joint research among members, and continuously expanding the Global South think tank cooperation network. During the preparatory phase, SIRPA was already deeply involved in establishing the organizational structure, designing work plans, and coordinating resources. Furthermore, the Secretariat will leverage the frontier explorations of Fudan University’s Artificial Intelligence Development Committee. By promoting the deep integration of “AI+” with the development needs of the Global South, the Secretariat aims to empower new models of cooperation through technological innovation.
SIRPAprovides strong academic backing for the Secretariat. Long focused on international cooperation and global governance, the School houses four first-level disciplines: Political Science (including International Relations), Public Administration, National Security Studies, and Area Studies. Notably, the Political Science discipline has consistently performed at the top tier in three consecutive rounds of national disciplinary assessments.
Regarding Global South cooperation, Fudan University has establish influential international networks, including the Fudan-Latin America University Consortium (FLAUC) and the Union of School of Politics and International Relations (USPIR). It has also founded research bodies such as the Research Center for Lancang-Mekong Youth Astronomical Sciences, focusing on cultivating young talents and empowering high-quality cooperation through interdisciplinary integration. This mature research ecosystem and extensive exchange network align perfectly with the Secretariat’s core mission, ensuring solid academic support and operational capability for the work ahead.
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Writer: Edward Turdmat
