The Forum of the Association of Law Schools of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization was held at KNU

On June 12, 2026 the Association of Law Schools of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (ALS SCO) Forum was held at Kyrgyz National University named after Jusup Balasagyn (KNU). The Forum was titled “The Role of the Association of Law Schools in the Implementation of SCO Initiatives”. The event, timed to coincide with the upcoming SCO Summit in the Kyrgyz Republic in 2026, became a key event in the field of legal education and regional cooperation.

The Forum was attended by over 100 representatives from 33 leading universities, government agencies, judicial bodies, law firms, chambers of commerce and industry, and business associations from Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Belarus, and Azerbaijan, as well as international experts from France.

The key topics of the Forum were:

The development strategy of the ALS SCO: from agreements to practical implementation;
Regional security challenges in the SCO space: the role of science and education;
Legal support for investments in the mining industry – risk prevention through a multilateral system of protective measures;
Integration of education, science, and practice: creation of an SCO Internship Center for Legal Professionals (with the participation of universities, law firms, and business associations);
Launch of joint master’s programs, 1+1 network training, and advanced training courses for faculty.

Professor Dogdurbek Chontoev, Rector of KNU, moderated the meeting. He noted that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization today is a pillar of Eurasian stability thanks to economic and security cooperation, as well as targeted and important work to foster a common understanding of justice, trade, and governance. He emphasized that the legal profession, which is formed in law schools, lies at the heart of these efforts. “Therefore, it is deeply symbolic that this Forum is being held at the Kyrgyz National University named after Jusup Balasagyn,” the Rector emphasized. He then outlined three areas that require serious attention for the SCO network of law schools: harmonizing commercial and investment law, preparing for the digital world, and developing legal linguistics.

The following welcome speeches were taken by:

Kazybek Mamatkasymovich Kochkonov, Advisor to the Deputy Secretary-General of the SCO;
Ge Weihua, Party Secretary of the Shanghai University of Political Science and Law;
Li Hua, Minister-Counselor of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Kyrgyz Republic;
Aleksey Aleksandrovich Poyda, First Secretary of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Kyrgyz Republic, representative of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia;
Durus Isakbaevich Kozuyev, Deputy Minister of Science, Higher Education, and Innovation of the Kyrgyz Republic;
Lei Yanjun, Deputy Director of the Office of the President of the People’s Republic of China, SCO University, Director of International Cooperation and Exchanges, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Associate Professor;
Bekbosun Ishenbekovich Borubashov, Deputy Minister and Chairman of the Higher Attestation Commission under the Ministry of Science, Higher Education, and Innovation of the Kyrgyz Republic;
Mathieu Grandpieron, Representative of the Catholic Institute of Vendée (France);
Aslan Khuseynovich Abashidze, Director of the Law Institute of the Patrice Lumumba Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN);
Lazzat Tolegenkyzy, Member of the Board, Vice-Rector for Social and Infrastructure Development of the L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Doctor of Sociology, Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
Cholpon Mukanbetovna Alkadyrova, Vice-Rector of the J. Abdrakhmanov Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic;

After the break, the Forum’s plenary sessions began, with keynote speakers from representatives of Northwest University of Political Science and Law (China), Xi’an Jiaotong University, Qingdao University, Kutafin Moscow State Law University, St. Petersburg State University, MGIMO, HSE University, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Altai State University, SSLA, Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Far Eastern Federal University, the Academy of the State Committee for National Security of the Kyrgyz Republic, GRATA Law Firm, as well as judges of the CIS Economic Court and the Supreme Court of the Kyrgyz Republic.

The Forum, held as part of the implementation of the decisions of the 1st SCO Association of Southeast Asian Law Schools (2022) and annual forums dedicated to the training of highly qualified international lawyers, will conclude on June 13. The Association of Law Schools of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) brings together 33 leading universities in the SCO member states. The Forum in Bishkek is the first practical step toward implementing agreements on joint training of international lawyers, the creation of a research institute for SCO legal issues, and the development of academic mobility. Particular attention will be paid to training personnel for the mining industry and cross-border economic cooperation, in line with the priorities of Kyrgyzstan’s SCO chairmanship.