On 11 November 2024, the 8th International Symposium of the Network of ASEAN-China Academic Institutes (NACAI) was convened at Fudan University under the theme “ASEAN-China People-to-People Exchanges: Progress and Prospects.” The symposium was jointly organized by the Center for China’s Relations with Neighbouring Countries at Fudan University (CCRNC Fudan), and NACAI, with institutional support from the Office of Global Partnerships (Key Projects Development Fund), Fudan University. The opening session was presided over by Professor Qi Huaigao, Vice Dean of the Institute of International Studies, Fudan University. Professor Zhao Weihua, Director of CCRNC Fudan, delivered the opening address.
The first panel was moderated by Associate Professor Wen Yao, Deputy Director of CCRNC Fudan, brought together scholars from leading ASEAN academic institutions. Associate Professor Ngeow Chow Bing (Director of the Institute of China Studies at University of Malaya), Professor Henelito A. Sevilla Jr. (Asian Center at the University of the Philippines), Dr. Sineenat Sermcheep (Director of the ASEAN Studies Center at Chulalongkorn University), and Dr. Koh Sin Yee (Deputy Director of the Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam) offered insights on China-ASEAN educational cooperation, cultural and business linkages between China and the Philippines, regional tourism dynamics, and the experiences of Chinese students in Malaysia.
The second panel was moderated by Dr. Chen Yu, Associate Research Fellow at CCRNC Fudan. Dr. Souliya Mounnarath (Head of the International Cooperation Division at National University of Laos), Dr. Dam Thi Dao (Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences), Dr. Thidar Kyaw (Department of International Relations and Political Science at the University of Yangon), Associate Professor Xue Song (CCRNC Fudan), and Dr. Muhammad Fatahillah (Department of International Relations at Universitas Indonesia) presented on topics including the contribution of societal exchanges to the formation of an ASEAN-China community with a shared future, the function of the Vietnam-China Friendship Association in informal diplomacy, China’s support in strengthening Myanmar’s educational sector, and the role of Indonesian social organisations in advancing bilateral relations.
In the afternoon, CCRNC Fudan convened the Fudan China-ASEAN Scholars Dialogue 2024, titled “China-ASEAN Cooperation in a Changing World: Opportunities and Challenges.” The dialogue gathered more than twenty distinguished scholars from China and ten ASEAN member states.
Founded on 28 May 2017, NACAI constitutes a collaborative academic platform dedicated to advancing research and dialogue on ASEAN-China relations. Since its establishment, NACAI has organised seven previous symposia:
2017, Shanghai: ASEAN-China Relations in Transition: Differences Management and Win-Win Cooperation
2018, Shanghai: China-ASEAN Energy and Resources Cooperation in the “Diamond Decade”
2019, Kuala Lumpur: ASEAN-China Relations in the Context of US–China Rivalry
2020, Yangon (online): ASEAN-China Cooperation in the Fight against COVID-19
2021, Bandar Seri Begawan (online): Trade Linkages and Supply Chain Resilience in the COVID-19 New Normal
2022, Jakarta (online): Accelerating SDG Progress in East Asia Through Regional Cooperation
2023, Manila (hybrid): Energy-Environment Nexus and the Future of the Asia-Pacific
The 2024 symposium at Fudan University represents a further consolidation of NACAI’s role as a key regional platform for scholarly exchange, contributing to a deeper understanding of the societal dimensions underpinning ASEAN-China cooperation.
