On 11 May, during his visit to Shaanxi, SCO Secretary-General Vladimir Norov visited Shaanxi Normal University, which trains teachers for China's northeastern districts.
The visit began with a meeting with Cheng Guangxu, Secretary of the Shaanxi Normal University's Communist Party Committee, who briefed Mr Norov on the history and current state of the university. The receiving party suggested expanding student and professor exchanges between the universities of SCO member states and holding more joint research conferences and forums.
The SCO Secretary-General also talked to the university's president, You Xuqun, as well as professors and instructors. Participants in the meeting exchanged opinions on cooperation in education, staff training and joint research.
Mr Norov informed the university staff about the cooperation in education within the SCO, and emphasised the need to create relevant conditions for quality teacher training and for foreign language studies.
The Secretary-General also learned about the activity of research centres that study Afghanistan, Turkey, Uzbekistan and the Belt and Road Initiative, which operate under Shaanxi Normal University.
Shaanxi Normal University, founded in 1944, is a Chinese state university with over 17,000 students, over 15,000 master's degree students and 1,000 foreign students.
The university has more than 100 research centres and institutes engaged in pedagogy, humanities, history, literature, philosophy, religions and other disciplines. Every year, over 400 students and postgraduates study abroad.