Liu Dingrui

To further implement the Belt and Road Initiative， strengthen international cooperation and exchange in basic education within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization （SCO）， create a paradigm for basic education cooperation under the SCO framework， and promote the high-standard openin-up and high-quality development of basic education of Chongqing and China， the Basic Education Working Committee of Trade and Economic Multifunctional Platform for SCO Countries （hereinafter referred to as the “Basic Education Working Committee”） was founded on September 28， 2022.

“The Basic Education Working Committee endeavors to envision an ‘interconnected circle’ of educational collaboration， fostering the sharing of educational resources and facilitating mutual assistance among schools to ensure collective advancements. It aims to establish Chongqing’s basic education brand that thrives locally， extends nationwide， engages with the SCO， and expands globally.” Ou Jian， the Inaugural Chairman of the Basic Education Working Committee and Principal of the High School Affiliated to Southwest University， expressed this vision during an interview with The World and Chongqing on the occasion of the first anniversary of the establishment of the Basic Education Working Committee.

Facilitating High-quality Development of Internationalization of Basic Education Industry

As Ou Jian introduced， the Basic Education Working Committee， guided by the “Shanghai Spirit”， leverages the open advantages of the Trade and Economic Multifunctional Platform for SCO Countries （SCO TEMP）. The committee mainly serves as a bridge among SCO member states， supporting basic education organizations in venturing abroad， engaging in cooperative education， talent development， and the co-construction and sharing of educational resources， as well as the promotion of Chinese and multilingual languages and culture. In addition， the committee works to enhance the internationalization and branding capabilities of basic education schools in Chongqing and the rest of China， while offering information consulting services related to management， policies， laws， and other aspects of the basic education industry. In doing so， the committee aims to contribute to the high-quality development of the internationalization of the basic education industry.

During the summer vacation， the committee organized the “SCO Children Join Hands Together to Future” Study Tour for SCO Children. Nine children from SCO members such as Kazakhstan， Kyrgyzstan， and Myanmar were invited to join hands with 18 Chinese children to embark on a three-day friendship journey. This program aimed to enhance mutual understanding among SCO children regarding each other’s countries.

“In the future， we will continue to build more landmark projects for cultural exchange among youth from SCO member countries， fostering emotional resonance and cultural identity among the young generation within the SCO，” stated Ou Jian.

Deepening Chinese-Foreign Cooperation and Exchange in International Education

Ou Jian believes that in the present era of multi-polarized development， international education cooperation and communication can enhance mutual trust and unite a greater range of civil society and government entities. As the only key affiliated high school directly under the Ministry of Education in Southwest China， the High School Affiliated to Southwest University always upholds an internationalized educational philosophy. Since it established the International Education Department in 2006， the High School has been committed to providing world-class international education. In addition， it has been actively developing deep partnerships with institutions such as Ohlone College in California， the Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex （WSWHE） Board of Cooperative Educational Services （WSWHE BOCES） in New York State， and St. Botolph’s School in Canada， to offer international programs such as A-LEVEL and AP courses， continuously exploring the path to international basic education.

“The Basic Education Working Committee will integrate the competitive resources of member schools， fully leverage the strong support of SCO TEMP， expand the opening of Chongqing’s basic education to the outside world， and actively promote diverse and wide-ranging mechanisms for Chinese-foreign international education cooperation and exchange.” Ou Jian expressed that in the future， the committee will actively advance friendly school relationships between Chongqing and SCO members， facilitate international exchanges and the integration of general education and vocational training， and engage in various forms of friendly exchange activities such as teacher and student visits， aiming to enhance school-to-school and country-to-country communication and collaboration.

“Meanwhile， building a basic education brand with Chongqing characteristics is crucial for the municipality to enhance its basic education influence.” After engaging in education for three decades， Ou Jian deeply recognizes the significance of brand development. “Similar to how a school brand serves as the lifeblood of an institution， our goal is to shape the field of basic education into a ‘new emblem’ for Chongqing.”

The Basic Education Working Committee will continue to explore and study brand strategies and establish unified brand standards， aiming to serve and guide member schools for common development. “Our goal is to establish and maintain unified brand standards， effectively leading Chongqing and extending our influence to the whole of China and countries along the Belt and Road. We strive to foster strong connections between domestic and international schools with prominent brands， while also creating diverse platforms for cultural exchange，” said Ou Jian.

Extended Reading：

The Basic Education Working Committee was initiated by 11 star primary and secondary schools in Chongqing， including the High School Affiliated to Southwest University， Xincun Experimental Primary School in Jiangbei District， Bashu Secondary School， Chongqing Nankai Middle School， Chongqing BI Academy， Bishan Middle School， Chongqing Bashu Primary School， Gaotanyan Primary School in Shapingba District， Chongqing Weiming School， Chongqing Renmin Primary School， and Xinghu School in Liangjiang New Area， along with 27 well-known local primary and secondary schools.

Photo/SCO TEMP