Dr. Zhou Taidong from the Centre for International Knowledge on Development was invited to give a lecture at the salon. He worked for China’s Ministry of Commerce for a long time in charge of international aid projects. Later, he studied in Australia and obtained a doctorate in management from the College of Humanities and Development Studies of China Agricultural University. He is currently working at the Center for International Knowledge on Development, under the Development Research Center of the State Council. His research interests include international development cooperation, global development governance, foreign aid, and China’s development experience. He is also responsible for the establishment of the China-ASEAN Knowledge Network.

The main purpose of his lecture was to discuss how to advance interdisciplinary research on sustainable development in Southeast Asia. By utilizing the advantages of Peking University’s comprehensive disciplines and the basic advantages of Southeast Asian studies, and combining the academic and practical network advantages at home and abroad as well as in Southeast Asia, China would promote and build the high ground of sustainable development research in Southeast Asia, including the high ground of both academic and policy ideas. The presentation provided a theoretical and practical review and analysis of Zhou Taidong’s research and laid a foundation for future research directions. In addition, an important purpose of his work was to build an index system for the sustainable development of Southeast Asia and even the sustainable development of China and Southeast Asia (including ESG) on the basis of Southeast Asian studies, through which officials, industries, universities and research institutes could be connected.