On January 7, 2017, a high-end forum titled “Soft Power Construction of the ‘Belt and Road’ & Launching Ceremony of Interdisciplinary Think Tank Consortium of Humanities and Social Sciences Key Research Bases under the Ministry of Education” was held in the Communication University of China, marking the set-up of the first university interdisciplinary think tank consortium in China. Officials from related departments, including the Central Propaganda Department, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education and the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, attended the ceremony and delivered opening remarks.

The think tank consortium is co-found by 10 humanities and social sciences key research bases from eight universities, whose research areas cover more than 10 national first-level disciplines, such as law, politics, sociology, economics, journalism and communication. The Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University has been selected in this consortium. Professor Liu Zhongmin and Qian Xuming, the president and a researcher of the institute respectively, attended the forum. Prof. Liu also delivered a speech on people-to-people communication between China and the Middle East on it.