In the context of the rapid changes the international system is witnessing, and growing scientific interest in economic connectivity projects and the reshaping of spaces of cooperation and competition, the Laboratory of Strategic Studies and Political Research at Abou Bekr Belkaïd University of Tlemcen, headed by Prof. Ayad Mohammed Samir, is organising a scientific symposium entitled "The New Silk Road: Algeria and the Geopolitical Dimensions of China's Belt and Road Initiative".
The symposium will be presided over by Prof. Guerrouche Mohammed, a specialist in Sino-Maghreb relations, and opened by Prof. Ouhib Fethi, dean of the Faculty of Law and Political Science. It will be held online on Saturday 14 November 2026 at 6pm, on the eve of the 11th General Assembly of the Silk Road Universities Network (SUN) and the 9th Annual Scientific Conference of the International Association for Silk Road Studies (IASS). Both events are hosted by the University of Tlemcen as part of SUN 2026, under the theme "Threads of Change: Weaving Silk Road Cooperation for a Resilient World".
Led by academics and specialists, the symposium aims to foster an in-depth academic debate that goes beyond description to analysis, bridging theoretical grounding and forward-looking strategic options. Participants will examine the geopolitical, economic and security dimensions of the Belt and Road Initiative and Algeria's place within it, the opportunities it offers for partnership and development, and the challenges and stakes it raises at regional and international levels.
The proceedings will revolve around four themes:
- The New Silk Road: conceptual framework and historical development
- Algeria's place within China's Belt and Road Initiative
- The economic, security and political dimensions of the initiative
- The initiative's future stakes and its regional and international repercussions
Held on the eve of this major international academic event, the meeting is an opportunity to link the Silk Road debate to its intellectual and university dimensions. According to the organisers, no reflection on international cooperation is complete without acknowledging the role of universities and research institutions in producing knowledge, building trust, developing partnerships and shaping scientific visions that respond to the complexities of a changing world.
The laboratory is therefore inviting academics, researchers, doctoral students and all those interested in international relations and strategic studies to take part and enrich the discussions. The aim is to contribute to a rigorous scientific reading of Algeria's place in the global shifts under way, and to explore prospects for cooperation in which knowledge goes hand in hand with development, and partnership with the safeguarding of national interests.
Date: Saturday 14 November 2026, 6pm (online)
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