Erfa Iqbal, a Pakistani civil servant for more than 25 years, recently graduated from Peking University with a doctoral degree in economics. With the governance knowledge she has acquired in China, she will soon return to her position with the government of Pakistan.

Wearing a red gown and an academic cap, Iqbal gave a speech on June 22 at Peking University's centennial auditorium for the commencement ceremony of the Institute of South-South Cooperation and Development. "It feels like a dream," she said.

Established in 2016, the institute aims to strengthen cooperation on experience sharing and capacity building with various countries. Its students are mid- to senior-level officials from developing countries, and the curriculum is focused on economics, politics and governance.

This year's 35 graduates came from 19 Asian and African countries, and were conferred 17 master's degrees in public administration and 18 doctoral degrees in economics. Overall, the institute has trained over 400 students from more than 70 developing countries in governance and administration.

Curious about the nation's rapid development, officials and political parties from developing countries have come to China through various cooperation projects, such as university programs, inter-party exchanges, and short-term visits, to understand the modernization path explored by the Communist Party of China.