An IGE delegation attended a 28-29 September 2010 conference in Beijing on “Muslims and a Harmonious Society in Western China: Opportunities and Challenges.” The conference was hosted by IGE’s partner, the Ethnic Minority Groups Development Research Institute under the Development Research Center of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China. Nearly 40 participants discussed Islam and social development over the two-day conference. This was the capstone discussion in a conference series on “Muslims and a Harmonious Society” in China.

At the conclusion of the conference, IGE and the Ethnic Minority Groups Development Research Institute signed a Memorandum of Understanding outlining further research cooperation over the next two years. Per this agreement, the two think tanks will work to research the relationship between education and social development within religious communities on China’s borders.