On May 30, the 3rd China-Kazakhstan Economic and Social Research Forum was held at Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics (ZUFE). This year's forum adopted the form of remote online live broadcast, and the main venue was located at the Xiasha Campus. Nearly 1,000 people, including experts and scholars of Chinese and Kazakh government agencies, scientific research institutes and institutions of higher education, together with business leaders from China and Kazakhstan gathered on DingTalk and launched a lively, in-depth discussion on the theme of “China-Kazakhstan Economic and Social Cooperation at the Backdrop of Global Epidemic: Working Together to Fight the Epidemic and Promoting Development. The forum was hosted by vice-president Zhanrong Li, Muhong Yu, director of the ZUFE Kazakhstan Economic and Social Research Center (ZUFE-KESRC) and Zhixian Chai, vice dean of the School of International Education & Studies.
In his speech, Principal Xiaomin Zhong made a brief introduction of the extensive and effective work, achieved by ZUFE over the years, in promoting friendly exchanges and cooperation between China and Kazakhstan. He stressed that in the context of the global epidemic, the university would continue to pay close attention to the current situation of the epidemic, prevention and control measures and economic impact in Kazakhstan. What's more, the university would serve the national "The Belt and Road Initiative", give full play to the advantages of economic management in academic discipline and international schooling, further promote the construction of the first domestic academic platform focusing on economic and social research in Kazakhstan, and make contributions to explore new areas of China-Kazakhstan cooperation in the context of the epidemic.
Xiao Zhang, the Chinese Ambassador to Kazakhstan, said that COVID-19 posed great challenges to the cooperation between China and Kazakhstan in various fields, but it would also breed new opportunities. We hope that the two sides will deepen practical cooperation, take the opportunity of building a "Healthy Silk Road" and "Digital Silk Road" to give full play their complementary advantages, increase the integration of interests, and continue to maintain a good development momentum of cooperation between the two countries in the "Post-epidemic era" and create the community of shared future for China and Kazakhstan through joint efforts.
Shuming Tang, director of the International Exchanges and Cooperation Office of the Provincial Department of Education, pointed out in his speech that ZUFE has a sound foundation for cooperation with colleges and universities in Kazakhstan. It is hoped that the educational cooperation between ZUFE and Kazakhstan will continue to deepen. Focused on educational cooperation, we hope the people-to-people exchange, logistics, information dissemination, and fund transaction between Zhejiang province and Kazakhstan will further contribute to the development of China-Kazakhstan relations.
Kairat Abdrakhan, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Astana International Academy of Sciences, Kazakhstan, said that the COVID-19 epidemic had hit Kazakhstan's economic system and highlighted the shortcomings of Kazakhstan's medical system. It was expected that China and Kazakhstan will continue their cooperation to implement the agreements reached between the two sides in economic, financial, trade, cultural and other fields and deepen the traditional friendship between the two sides in the post-epidemic era.
Professor Xilong Wang from Lanzhou University, Professor Aday Seken, L.N.Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Researcher Ning Zhang from Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Professor Xiaoling Fan from Xinjiang University of Finance and Economics and Professor Muhong Yu ZU from FE respectively made keynote speeches on the topics of "Food Security and Sino-Kazakh Economic Cooperation", "Rethinking the Cooperation Mechanism between Central Asia and China under the Background of the Normalization of the Epidemic", "The Economic and Social Impact of the Falling Oil Price on Kazakhstan", "Strategies to Facilitate the Development of Chinese Enterprises in Kazakhstan in the Post-epidemic Era" and " The Economic and Social Research of China and Kazakhstan in the COVID-19 Epidemic: Production capacity cooperation and innovative development".
Professor Shanbing Lu of Northwest University, Xinlan Duan, General Manager of Xinjiang Sanbao Group Service Company, Zhijiang Pu, Chairman of Zhejiang Guomao Yunshang Holding Co. Ltd., Associate Professor Wanting Zhang of Northwest University, and Associate Professor Chunlin Guan of ZUFE respectively made keynote speeches on the topics of "Research on the Management Thinking of Nazarbayev's First President", "Kazakhstan’s Economic Development under the COVID-19 Epidemic", "How to Seize the Opportunity to Accelerate the Development of Digital Foreign Trade under the Epidemic", "Prospects for China-Kazakhstan Economic Cooperation in the Post-epidemic Era" and "Language needs and responsive strategies for China-Kazakhstan cooperation under the COVID-19".
The forum provided experts of the two countries and relevant departments with a strong impetus to pay continuous attention to the epidemic prevention and control measures as well as the economic and social development of both countries. They have made positive contributions to the exploration of new areas, new models, new contents and new mechanisms of China-Kazakhstan cooperation under the normalization of epidemic prevention and control.
