A Decade of Cross-Border Learning: Celebrating 10 Years of the South-South Cooperation Institute at PKU

A Decade of Cross-Border Learning at ISSCAD

The South-South Cooperation and Development Institute (ISSCAD) at Peking University celebrated its 10th anniversary on April 29, 2026. This milestone event brought together past and present students from around the globe, including Ismail Zabeeh, who has had an impressive career as a minister in the Maldives before returning to academia to deepen his understanding of development. The institute has established itself as a pivotal hub for higher education focused on sustainable development in emerging economies.

Founded in 2016, ISSCAD operates on a distinct premise that recognizes the unique development experiences of countries in the Global South. It aims to systematically study the knowledge generated by these nations. As stated by Justin Yifu Lin, the honorary dean of ISSCAD and former chief economist at the World Bank, the institute's most significant innovation lies in its emphasis on learning from the development journeys of China and other developing nations.

The anniversary forum featured prominent figures including government leaders, academics, and diplomats who reaffirmed their commitment to the institute as a platform for talent development, policy research, and international exchanges. Notable attendees included Arkebe Oqubay, former minister of Ethiopia and a leading expert in industrial policy, and Abigail Shoniwa, Zimbabwe's ambassador to China. Both stressed the importance of leveraging the knowledge gained through ISSCAD programs to inform policymakers back home.

A special flag parade saw students and alumni from over 80 countries come together, symbolizing unity and shared aspirations among developing nations. The institute has trained high-ranking officials, diplomats, and scholars from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Pacific, offering master's and doctoral programs that integrate academic research with on-ground political work in China.

As ISSCAD embarks on its second decade, Lin expressed the aspiration for the institute to become a globally recognized hub for academic innovation and knowledge exchange amongst developing countries. The celebration marked not only a reflection on the past but also a commitment to advancing collaborative learning and development practices that can effectively address the challenges facing the Global South today. The experiences gained from ISSCAD over the last ten years are vital as nations work towards sustainable futures in a rapidly changing world.

Overall, ISSCAD’s approach represents a much-needed paradigm shift in international development education, recognizing the necessity to draw lessons from the successes and challenges of developing nations rather than solely from