“Meeting in Chongqing, Embracing the Future”—the Sino-Russian Student Joint Art Exhibition, co-hosted by the Platform Education Work Alliance, was held in Chongqing.

The year 2026 has been designated as the China–Russia Year of Educational Exchanges. On October 15, the joint art exhibition “Meeting in Chongqing, Embracing the Future,” co-hosted by the Education Working Alliance of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s Multifunctional Economic and Trade Platform, the BRICS Youth Artificial Intelligence Education Alliance, the Russian “Bridge of Connections” Foundation for Supporting Youth Creativity, and Chongqing Banan Yucai Experimental Middle School, was held at the Starry Sky Theater of Bashu Primary School in Banan District, Chongqing. The event served as a prelude to the “Chongqing–Russia Together: Smartly Pioneering the Future” Principals’ Exchange Conference, and represented a vivid example of advancing youth cultural exchanges and fostering mutual understanding under the SCO framework.

The Education Working Alliance of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s Multifunctional Economic and Trade Platform was established under the guidance of the platform and the Chongqing Municipal Education Commission’s Education Cooperation Task Force. Built on the foundations of the High-End Think Tank Consortium of the education sector, as well as committees for basic education, secondary vocational education, and educational services, it is dedicated to advancing international educational exchanges and school–enterprise cooperation among SCO member states and countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. The alliance seeks to foster deep integration across education, industry, technology, and culture, while serving as a regularized bridge that enables Chongqing to open its education sector to the broader SCO community.

Tang Juan, vice principal of Chongqing Banan Yucai Experimental Middle School, delivered a welcome address, extending a warm welcome to the Russian delegation of teachers and students. Wang Bao’ai, chair of the BRICS Youth Artificial Intelligence Education Alliance, attended the event and spoke, emphasizing that youth exchanges represent the most dynamic component of cultural and people-to-people engagement and play a vital role in fostering mutual learning among civilizations.

The performance kicked off with the martial arts piece “Martial Spirit of Sichuan,” as young performers moved with swift, powerful strikes, embodying the vigor and spirit of the Bashan and Shu landscapes. The Russian faculty and students followed with a children’s choir rendition of “Sunshine Braided into My Hair,” the song “Katyusha,” and the dance “Kalinka,” driving the atmosphere to a thrilling climax. Meanwhile, the Chinese faculty and students presented the national intangible cultural heritage of Mudong Mountain Songs, the guzheng piece “Ode to the Lotus,” the piano composition “I Love You, China,” and the song “Youth Dance,” with both sides sharing the stage in a dazzling display that earned nonstop applause.

During the event, Russian teachers and students also attended workshops on tie-dyeing, calligraphy, folk songs, and yangge dance, picked up brushes to write their first Chinese characters, and experienced the charm of traditional Chinese culture.

“State-to-state relations hinge on people-to-people affinity, and people-to-people affinity rests on mutual understanding.” This event, using art as a bridge and culture as a medium, has strengthened the friendship between Chinese and Russian youth. The Education Alliance will continue to promote exchanges and mutual learning in education among the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states, contributing the energy of youth to building a community with a shared future for the SCO.

In recent years, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s Multifunctional Economic and Trade Platform has steadfastly upheld the “Shanghai Spirit,” vigorously implemented the national strategy of building a strong education system, and supported high‑level international cooperation in western China’s education sector. By deepening its engagement in educational openness and youth‑to‑youth cultural exchanges, the platform has achieved a series of solid results. In collaboration with the Education Work Alliance, the Chongqing Municipal Education Commission, the Communist Youth League Municipal Committee, and other partners, the platform has created the “The World Is a Textbook” SCO-themed study‑tour brand for children and adolescents. It has organized paired study‑tour programs in Chongqing, bringing together young people from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Russia, and other countries, thereby fostering face‑to‑face interactions and mutual understanding among youth from different nations. The platform has also consistently hosted cultural initiatives under the SCO framework, including principal dialogues, an International Youth Poetry Competition, reciprocal book‑exchange programs, and the “Shanghai Spirit” outreach to schools, thus promoting mutual learning among diverse civilizations. Furthermore, it has actively expanded its overseas educational liaison network, establishing representative offices abroad and facilitating the signing of cooperation agreements between numerous primary and secondary schools, as well as universities in Chongqing, and institutions in SCO member states and neighboring countries. These efforts have advanced practical collaborations such as teacher‑student exchanges, joint study tours, and co‑developed curricula. In addition, the platform has promoted vocational education overseas, trade in educational equipment, multilingual communication, and talent development, while establishing international academies and educational alliances. Through these endeavors, it has continuously enhanced Chongqing’s profile as a hub of educational openness, using education as a bridge to steadily strengthen the bonds of mutual understanding and goodwill within the broader SCO family.

(Contributed by the Platform Education Working Alliance)