The China and Eurasia Council for Political and Strategic Research and the Institute of Oriental Studies, National Academy of Sciences, organize the discussion on the topic of “Rethinking China’s Rise under the Governance of the CPC: Achievements, Initiatives and Prospects” at National Academy of Sciences, Marshal Baghramyan 24, Yerevan. This conference is supported by the Embassy of People’s Republic of China in Armenia. All audience members are required to register for the conference. Please mention name, surname, working or studying place in your email. Please send your registration letter to info@chinastan.org before July 1.

Date: July 2, 2021.

Registration 10:30 (Yerevan Time)

Welcome Address (11:00-11:50)

Congratulatory Message of the President of the Republic of Armenia H.E. Mr. Armen Sarkissian (representative’s reading)

Opening Remarks

Academician, Prof., Dr. Sci. Ashot Saghayn (President of National Academy of Sciences, Armenia)

H. E. Mr. Yong Fan (Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of PRC to the Republic of Armenia)

H.E. Ms. Zheng Wei (General Secretary of The Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Commission of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization) (via ZOOM)

Dr. Robert Ghazaryan (Director of Institute of Oriental Studies, National Academy of Sciences, Armenia)

Dr. Mher Sahakyan (Director of “China-Eurasia” Council for Political and Strategic Research, Armenia)

Family Photo of Conference Speakers and Special Guests, coffee break (11:50-12:30)

Panel 1: (English Language) China’s Communist Party and the World (12:35)

Dr. Zheng Yuntian (Director of the World Socialism Institute, Renmin University of China, PRC), “Four Dimensions of Xi Jinping’s Scientific Orientation on China’s Commitment to the World in the New Era”. (via ZOOM)

Mr. Ebrahim Hashem (Strategist, Consultant and Scholar, UAE), “The UAE Government and Communist Party of China: Growing Relationship Based on Deep Historical Roots, Common Principles and Mutual Synergies”. (via ZOOM)

Dr. Bin Ma (Associate Professor at the Center for Russian and Central Asian Studies, Institute of International Studies, Fudan University, PRC), “The Role of the CPC in the Work of Help-The-Poor”. (via Zoom)

Panel 2: (English Language). The Role of the Health, Digital Silk Roads and Industrial Policy in the Rise of China (13:45)

Dr. Sanja Arezina, (Counselor with the Government of the Republic of Serbia, Research Associate-Assistant Professor at Belgrade University, Serbia), “China as а ‘Responsible Great Power’ – Health Silk Road as the New Component of Belt and Road Initiative in the Pandemic World”. (via Zoom)

Dr. Anahit Parzyan (“China-Eurasia” Council for political and Strategic Research, Armenia), “China’s Digital Silk Road: Pivot towards Eurasia”.

Ms. Raisa Epikhina (Lecturer and Researcher, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia),“The Role of Industrial Policy in China’s Rise: A Case-Study of the Electric Power Sector”. (via ZOOM)

Panel 3: (Russian and English Languages). China’s Role in a New Multiplex World (14:45)

Dr. Konstantin Kurylev (Deputy Head of the Department of Theory and History of International Relations, RUDN University, Russia), “Chinese Views on the Concept of “Great Eurasian Partnership [Китайские представления о концепте «Большое евразийское партнерство»] (in Rus). (via ZOOM)

Dr. Ruben Elamiryan (Chair of the Department of World Politics and International Relations, Russian-Armenian University, Armenia), “The Return of Geopolitics: Eastern Partnership Countries between the European Union and China”.

Dr. Aram Abajyan (Researcher, National Academy of Sciences, Armenia), “Shanghai Cooperation Organization as a Platform for Promoting the Agenda of China’s Belt and Road Initiative”.

Coffee/Pasties (15:50-16:20)

Panel 4: (English Language). China, South Caucasus and Turkey (16:30)

Dr. Vakhtang Charaia (Head of TSU Center for Analysis and Forecasting; Affiliated prof. at Business and Technology University, Georgia), “CPC’s Belt and Road Initiative in the South Caucasus”. (via ZOOM)

Dr. Mher Sahakyan (Director, China-Eurasia Council for political and Strategic Research, Armenia; Asia Global Institute, University of Hong Kong, PRC), “China’s Belt and Road Initiative and Armenia: Thoughts and Recommendations 2.0”.

Dr. Artur Israyelyan (Vice-rector for International Cooperation and Public Relations of Yerevan State University), “Chinese Studies in Yerevan State University: The History and Main Goals for Development”.

Dr. Varuzhan Geghamyan (Assistant professor,Faculty of Oriental Studies, Yerevan State University, Armenia), “On the Two Edges of Asia: China-Turkey Relations in the Context of Modern Eurasia (2000-2020)”.

Official Closing Ceremony of the Conference, handing out of certificates 17:50

Notes on Contributors

Organizing Committee

Dr. Mher Sahakyan is a founder and director of China-Eurasia Council for Political and Strategic Research. Dr Sahakyan is the 2020/2021 AsiaGlobal Fellow at the Asia Global Institute, University of Hong Kong, and an elected advisory board member of the International Institute for Peace, Austria. He is an assistant professor at the Russian-Armenian University and lecturer at the Yerevan State University and National Academy of Sciences of Armenia. With a doctorate in international relations from Nanjing University, China, Dr. Sahakyan is also the founder of the international conference ‘Eurasian Research on Modern China and Eurasia’ and author of China’s Belt and Road Initiative and Armenia, published in Armenian and Russian. His co-edited volume (along with Heinz Gartner) titled China and Eurasia: Rethinking Cooperation and Contradictions in the Era of Changing World Order (Routledge) is due to be published in 2021.

Dr. Robert Ghazaryan is a Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies, National Academy of Sciences. He is also heading the Department of Oriental Studies of ISEC NAS RA. Dr. Ghazaryan is the Chairman of the Supreme Certifying Committee Specialized Academic Council on World History based in the Institute of Oriental Studies of NAS RA. He is also an Editor in chief of the “The Countries and Peoples of the Near and Middle East” journal and Member of the editorial board of the electronic journal “Fundamental Armenology”.

Speakers

Dr. Zheng Yuntian is the director of World Socialism Institute, Renmin University (RUC) of China. Zheng Yuntian, born in Inner Mongolia, graduated from Tsinghua University with a doctoral degree. He is currently an associate professor at the School of International Studies, he is also assistant director of the Belt and Road Research Center in RUC. His main research areas are scientific socialism and socialism with Chinese characteristics. He has led a national research project, published 6 books and over 30 academic papers.

Dr. Sanja Arežina is a Counsellor with the Government of the Republic of Serbia, holds a scientific rank of Research Associate-Assistant Professor at Belgrade University, and is 2020/2021 Asia Global Fellow at the University of Hong Kong.She graduated at the Department of International Relations at the Faculty of Political Sciences of the University of Belgrade, with magisterial studies at the European Department of the same Faculty (Regional policy of the European Union) and obtained a PhD degree with thesis Relations between PR China and Yugoslavia and Serbia from 1977 to 2009. She has also finished studies at Chinese Academy of Governance in Beijing (PR China), Academy of European law in Trier (Germany) and Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences (PR China). Dr. Arežina is active in academic writing by publishing books and peer-reviewed articles on a number of topics, attending scientific conferences and giving lectures to civil servants, students, and scholars at domestic and international level. Her main areas of interest are China issues, European Union, and international negotiation. Her book China in Europe, both in Serbian and English, published in October/November 2018.

Dr. Artur Israyelyan is a Vice-rector for International Cooperation and Public Relations of Yerevan State University, Armenia. The founder of the Center of Chinese Language and Culture, YSU. He is an Associated Professor at the Department of Diplomatic Service and Communications, YSU Lecturer at the Department of Arabic Studies, YSU. Israyelyan coordinates  Korean and Japanese languages at Yerevan State University.He is the  author of the first “Armenian-Arabic Glossary of Diplomatic and Political Terms”. He also founded the Department of Oriental Languages of Brusov State University.

Dr. Konstantin Kyrylev is a Professor at the Department of Theory and History of International Relations of Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University). He holds a doctorate in history.  Dr. Kurylev is also the Deputy Head of the same department on the scientific work. He is the founder and Editor in-chief of the “Post-Soviet Studies” academic journal and Head of the Centre of Post-Soviet Studies (Autonomous Non-Commercial Organization (ANO). He published more than 90 scientific works (8 books, 2 handbooks e t.c.). Professor Kurylev focuses on Foreign Policy of Russia, Foreign Policy of Ukraine, Foreign Policy of the countries of CIS, Integration Processes in Eurasia.

Dr. MA Bin is the associate professor at the Center for Russian and Central Asian Studies, Institute of International Studies, Fudan University. He got his PhD from Fudan University and was the visiting scholar at the Harriman Institute, Columbia University (USA) from 2013 to 2014, the Swire Academic Visitor at St. Antony’s College, University of Oxford (Oct. 2019-Sep. 2020). His studies focus on Sino-Russian relations, Great Power Relations in Central Asia, transition, and development issues etc., and especially on Belt and Road Initiative, China Railway Express and Infrastructure Connectivity between China and Europe in recent years. Dr. MA has published two books, US Foreign Assistance to Central Asia in the post-Cold War Era (2015), Risks of China’s Investment Along the region of Belt and Road (2016). He is working on his third book with the topic of “The Operating Model of China Railway Express and its Impact on BRI”. He also published many academic articles and reports in Chinese and English in the past several years.

Dr. Ruben Elamiryan is the Chairperson and an Associate Professor at the Department of World Politics and International Relations at Russian-Armenian University. Dr. Ruben Elamiryan is also an Associate Professor at the Public Administration Academy of the Republic of Armenia. He received his PhD in Political Science (International Relations) in 2014 from the Academic Council at the National Strategic Research Institute, under the Ministry of Defense of Armenia. His thesis is entitled, ‘The problem of Information security in the context of providing the National Interest of the Republic of Armenia’. He has approximately ten years’ experience in academic research and lecturing, starting from 2010, when he began his PhD studies. From September 2018 to August 2019 he undertook a Visiting Fulbright Scholar position at Princeton University, working on a project entitled, ‘Eastern Partnership Countries on the cross-roads of the Eurasian Geopolitics: USA, EU, Russia, and China’. His research and teaching cover international relations, geopolitics, as well as international and cyber security, with focus on the South Caucasus, Eastern Europe, Russia, and Eurasia.

Dr. Vakhtang Charaia is the Head of TSU Center for Analysis and Forecast, a partner institute for the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Research in Georgia; affiliated professor at Business and Technology University, Georgia. At different times he was the Dean of Business Administration Faculty at Georgian Aviation University; Consultant (economist) for UK based international peace building organization – International Alert; TV anchor for analytical show – “Business Code”; Rector’s Adviser for international relations at Tbilisi State University; Affiliated lecturer at Harvard Business School Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness and etc. At different times he studied and did his PhD researches at Tbilisi State University (Georgia), Passau University, University of Bremen (Germany), European University at St. Petersburg (Russia), Institute of Government Accounts and Finance (India), University of Tartu (Estonia), Baltic International Academy (Latvia) and George Washington University (USA). Prof. Charaia has published more than 30 scientific and publicist articles and participated at different international conferences / forums in more than 50 countries. He is the winner and scholar of different state scholarships, as well as of international organizations, including International Monetary Fund, European Commission, etc. Prof. Charaia was named the Best Young Scientist of Georgia for 2018 year.

Mr. Ebrahim Hashem is a strategist, consultant and scholar interested in Arab World-China relations. He is a 2020/21 AsiaGlobal Fellow at Asia Global Institute (AGI). He has been watching China’s rise since 2011, when he did a strategic project related to China’s 12th Five-Year-Plan for the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). He was Visiting Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley, and University of California San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy (GPS) during 2017–2018. He has worked as a public policy and strategy adviser to the chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office and headed the long-term strategy division of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC). He advises various organizations on long-term strategies and Arab-China relations. He holds three master’s degrees in three different fields: engineering science, business administration and public administration.

Dr. Anahit Parzyan holds PhD degree in International Relations from Nanjing University, China. She focuses on International Security particularly in cybersecurity, digitalization, e-governance. In 2017, she was selected to become a Young Expert Scheme of EU “YES Armenia” program to work for the government of Armenia. She worked on the development of National Cybersecurity Strategy of Armenia focusing on Critical Infrastructure protection mechanisms and legislation. Anahit maintained several National cybersecurity national awareness campaigns in Armenia. In 2016, she joined the “China-Eurasia” Council for Political and Strategic Research as a cyber security team lead.  Dr. Parzyan is a graduate of the Warsaw Euro-Atlantic Summer Academy. She occasionally presents her research on cybersecurity and digitalization issues in Armenia, China, Europe. She is an author of several academic publications, one of which was awarded with the Honorary Certificate from Nanjing University of China. Starting from 2020 Dr. Parzyan is appointed to be the Executive Director of “Nork Technology and Awareness Center for Social Services” Foundation of Armenia, the leading technological center for digitalized social services.

Ms. Raisa Epikhina is a lecturer and researcher at Lomonosov Moscow State University and the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration. Raisa Epikhina teaches courses in China’s economy and its political and economic geography. In her research work she concentrates on China’s electricity industry and economic development issues, as well as economic relations between Russia and China. Ms. Epikhina studied Chinese language and culture at Tsinghua University in Beijing. She holds a M.A. in Asian and African Studies from Lomonosov Moscow State University.

Dr. Aram Abajyan is the Scientific Researcher in the Department of International Relations of Institute of Oriental Studies, National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia.He holds an MA Degree in the Middle Eastern studies from Yerevan State University, Armenia, and a Doctoral Degree in Political Science and Public Administration from Shandong University, China.His main research focuses on China-Middle East relations, China’s foreign policy in the region, and he is an author of several scientific articles.

Dr. Varuzhan Geghamyan got his Ph.D. in history from Saint Petersburg State University, Russia. Currently he works as an assistant professor at Faculty of Oriental Studies of Yerevan State University, Armenia. As an expert on Turkey, he appeared on Forbes, Newsweek, RIAC, etc. Main areas of study: personality cults, modernization, Turkish political culture, national minorities in the Middle East, Islam in Eurasia.