The First China-Shanghai Cooperation Organization Conference on Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation convened in Qingdao, Shandong Province on June 29. Hosted by the China-SCO Center for Science, Technology and Innovation, the event was co-organized by the Qingdao Municipal Science and Technology Bureau and the Foreign Affairs Office of Qingdao Municipal People’s Government. Zhang Guangjun, Vice Minister of Science and Technology; Gulzat Kobenova, Vice Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan; Lila Suleymanova, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science, Higher Education and Innovation of the Kyrgyz Republic; Jasem Al-Najem, Ambassador of the State of Kuwait to China; counsellors from SCO member states’ embassies in China; and academicians of the Russian and Pakistan Academies of Sciences, alongside other Chinese and foreign distinguished guests, attended the opening ceremony of the conference. Chang Jiang, Secretary of the University Party Committee, and Zhang Rongjun, Vice President of our university, were invited to the event, with Vice President Zhang Rongjun delivering a speech at the sub-forum.
During the plaque awarding ceremony at the opening session, Chang Jiang, Secretary of the University Party Committee, received the official plaque of the Xi’an Branch of the China-Shanghai Cooperation Organization Center for Science, Technology and Innovation (hereinafter referred to as the “Xi’an Branch”) on behalf of the university. With the official authorization granted, the Xi’an Branch is settled in the University Science and Technology Park on the Yanta Campus of our university, emerging as a pivotal hub for scientific and technological innovation cooperation serving Northwest China, Central Asia and all SCO member states. At the conference, the China-Shanghai Cooperation Organization Center for Science, Technology and Innovation awarded plaques to three domestic hubs in Xi’an, Guangzhou and Yan’an, as well as two overseas cooperation nodes in Uzbekistan and Mongolia. The global innovation cooperation network structured as “General Center + Domestic Hubs + Overseas Nodes” built by the Center is taking shape at an accelerated pace.
The conference themed “Gathering Wisdom of the SCO, Sharing Innovation for the Future - Jointly Building a New Ecosystem of Open and Inclusive International Scientific and Technological Cooperation”. During the event, political dignitaries, distinguished scientists, leaders of tech enterprises and young innovation pioneers from all SCO member states held in-depth and multi-dimensional dialogues as well as industrial matchmaking sessions focusing on core topics including artificial intelligence applications, cutting-edge technology transfer and sharing of innovation resources. A series of activities were held throughout the conference, including the release of 100 scientific and technological achievements and 100 cooperation demands between China and SCO member states, a group signing ceremony for SCO science and technology innovation cooperation projects, and the SCO Member States Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition.
At the sub-forum of the conference - the Seminar on International Cooperation in Higher Education, Zhang Rongjun delivered a speech entitled Xi’an Petroleum University(XSYU) Constructing an “Energy+” International Cooperation Model for Industry-Focused Universities Based on Its Distinctive Energy Disciplines. He shared the university’s characteristic practices and achievements in internationalization and international scientific research from four dimensions: the institutional framework for international affairs, implementation pathways of international school-running, outcomes of international research, and prospects for future cooperation. His presentation drew extensive attention from Chinese and foreign participants present at the seminar.
An award ceremony for the 5th SCO Member States Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition was held during the conference opening ceremony, with 20 projects from eight countries winning first, second, third prizes and honorable mentions respectively. A total of 11 SCO science and technology innovation cooperation projects underwent group signing, covering cutting-edge sectors including high-end manufacturing, artificial intelligence, agricultural science and technology, new energy and biotechnology. The Northwest Division of the 5th SCO Member States Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition was hosted by our university. The project “Innovation and Application of the Efficient Breeding System for High-Yield Dairy Cows”, recommended by the Northwest Division, was awarded the Second Prize at the Qingdao Finals (only two Second Prizes were conferred in total). Meanwhile, the Northwest Division received the Best Organization Award.
It is reported that the China-Shanghai Cooperation Organization Center for Science, Technology and Innovation is one of the three major cooperation centers covering scientific and technological innovation, higher education and vocational and technical education established at the 2025 SCO Tianjin Summit. Officially inaugurated in Qingdao on September 4 the same year, it serves as a key national-level platform for practicing the Shanghai Spirit and deepening scientific and technological cooperation among SCO member states. Centered on its core mission of fostering an open, inclusive, mutually beneficial and win-win ecosystem for international innovation cooperation, the Center focuses on four key tasks: joint technological research and development, exchanges in science, technology and humanities, cross-border technology transfer, and policy and intellectual support. It supports SCO member states in advancing collaborative innovation in pivotal sectors such as energy, artificial intelligence and the digital economy, and injects sustained scientific and technological momentum into building an even closer China-SCO community with a shared future.
In February 2026, Xi’an Petroleum University(XSYU) signed an agreement with the China-Shanghai Cooperation Organization Center for Science, Technology and Innovation to jointly build its Xi’an Branch.
