The launching of Institute of South-South Cooperation and Development at Peking University (ISSCAD) was a historic event, which helped the National School of Development at Peking University (NSD) to usher in a new milestone. The development of developing countries had been a global issue. Many western developed countries also offered many international aid programs, however, the situation in most of the developing countries haven't been fundamentally changed. As a partner for South-South Cooperation, China has been working closely with other developing countries for decades and the level of cooperation is continuously improved. Since China is still young in its economic development, its experience would be more valuable for other developing countries.

ISSCAD is the institute of learning and sharing the concepts of national development. It focuses on economics study as the core while combining interdisciplinary subjects, summarizes experience of China and other developing countries, and explores the general rules and specific patterns of national development for developing countries, employing the way of ‘teaching a man to fish’ rather than the way of ‘giving a man a fish’. ISSCAD is strongly supported by NSD and Peking University with their prominent economists and faculty in the field of humanities, and by academic and professional experts and scholars worldwide. As the predecessor of NSD, China Center for Economic Research (CCER) was renowned for representing a new standard of Chinese economics education and research. The center had kept distinct characteristics and positioning, a trinity of teaching, research and think-tank. Over 20 years of development, the golden triangle has become even more stable and solid.

NSD spared no efforts in scientific and policy research which had a profound impact on many major issues like the relationship between Chinese government and market during economic development, urbanization, state owned enterprise reform, aging and macro control, etc. Gradually there formed a series of think tank forums and projects such as CMRC China Economic Observer, NSD Policy Talk, Sino-American Economic Dialogue, Cross-Strait Economic Development Seminar, Yan Fu Memorial Lecture in Economics and CCER-NBER Annual Meeting. NSD has become a merited leader among China University think-tanks, and was first elected as pilot unit in national high end think-tank construction.

ISSCAD opened a new era for NSD by nurturing political elites. ISSCAD will enroll about dozens of masters PhDs for China Aid scholarship program of the first year. It will accept candidates from developed countries as well. In the near future, the institute would admit candidates from the Chinese government. With the exchange, learning and sharing of the concepts and experience among political elites from different countries, students will not only better blend in the local life, but also form solid friendship for future cooperation among China and all the other developing countries.

Nowadays NSD has more than 12 research centers and 9 degree programs, crossing various domains and disciplines. The goal of NSD is to build a world-class interdisciplinary teaching, research institution of economics, management, and governance, as well as a world-renowned think tank. The structural golden triangle of CCER, BiMBA and ISSCAD, as one of its most distinct characteristics, will further demonstrate the advantage of NSD. The more honor one receives, the more efforts one has to make. The improvement of national development does not mean the simple switch between intellectual input and output. ISSCAD is an international platform, which aims to maintain mutual and active communication between both developed and developing countries, and therefore contribute to a better world.