Indian Council of World Affairs

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Study Centre was established in the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) in July 2021. The Centre serves as a dedicated research and knowledge platform to support India’s engagement with the SCO by promoting dialogue on issues of interest to India within the Organization and the wider region. 

The SCO Study Centre undertakes policy-oriented research on political, economic, security, and socio-cultural developments in SCO region, with a particular focus on Central Asia and Eurasia. It also organizes conferences, seminars, expert consultations, lectures and dialogues. Through research, outreach, and publications, the Centre strengthens academic and policy understanding of India-SCO relations and contributes to building informed opinion. 

The SCO Forum is a multilateral intellectual and analytical mechanism that provides expert support to SCO’s activities and fosters cooperation among think tanks of Member States. ICWA is the nominated National Research Centre (think tank) from India to the SCO Forum. As ICWA served as the Chair of the Forum for 2024-25, the SCO Study Centre organized the XX SCO Forum Meeting in May 2025 in New Delhi. 

The SCO Study Centre has hosted Lectures delivered by SCO Secretary General Ambassador Vladimir Norov in January 2020 and Secretary General Mr. Nurlan Yermekbayev in February 2025. The Centre also facilitates the participation of Indian experts in academic events organized by SCO member states. 

Significantly, the Tianjin Declaration of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation 2025 has noted the contribution of the SCO Study Centre of ICWA in strengthening cultural and humanitarian exchanges.

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