On December 27, 2025, Southeast University (SEU) held an official inauguration ceremony and academic forum at its Jiulonghu Campus to launch the Institute of International and Regional Studies (IIRS) and the China-Africa Global South Institute. The event was attended by distinguished experts, scholars, and officials from 42 universities, research institutes, government departments, and publishing houses across China.

Gao Liguo, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Committee of Southeast University, delivered remarks at the ceremony. He noted that the Institute of International and Regional Studies aims to integrate expertise from foreign languages, history, economics, law, and Marxist studies to promote interdisciplinary collaboration and problem-oriented research. The China-Africa Global South Institute, jointly established by Southeast University and the University of Venda, serves as a platform for expanding international cooperation and marks a new stage in the university's development in area studies.

Congratulatory letters from Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa, and from Xie Yanshen, Director of the African International Art Museum of the Gulf of Guinea, were also read at the event.

Zhai Kun, convener of the Country and Regional Studies Discipline Appraisal Group under the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council and Deputy Director of the Institute of Area Studies, Peking University, highlighted the strategic importance of country and regional studies as an interdisciplinary field that supports China's international engagement through research, talent cultivation, and policy consultation.

The unveiling ceremony was jointly officiated by university leaders and distinguished guests, signaling a new phase in the development of both institutes.

The ceremony was followed by keynote speeches and roundtable discussions on topics including disciplinary development, theoretical innovation, knowledge system building, talent cultivation, and civilizational exchange. Two forum sessions were held under the themes “Paradigm Innovation in Country and Regional Studies: Theory, Methods, and Practice” and “Cultural Identity and Regional Integration in the Global South from the Perspective of Civilizational Exchange.”

According to the organizers, the two institutes will focus on advancing area studies with Chinese characteristics, strengthening research on key regional issues, and promoting China–Africa cooperation and broader Global South studies.

The event was jointly organized by the Institute of International and Regional Studies and the School of Foreign Languages at Southeast University.

Text: Chen A-long, Zhang Tingting

Photos: Wang Yining, Zhang Songtao

Translated: Li Jiaju

Proofreading: Ke Ying, Frank