Grandview Institution Hosts Seminar on the Middle East Situation

On September 16, 2025, the Grandview Institution convened a seminar on the situation in the Middle East, inviting representatives from Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Iran, Israel, and several European countries to exchange views with Grandview experts on the Gaza conflict, the Iran issue, and their international implications. The discussion was co-chaired by Sergio Grassi, Chief Representative of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) Beijing Office, and Ren Libo, President of Grandview Institution.

Participants noted that the spillover effects of the Gaza conflict are expanding, triggering regional political and security crises. They emphasized that these developments reflect the dilemmas facing today’s international order and global governance, underscoring the urgent need for joint efforts from all parties to achieve peace in the Middle East.

Participants:

         •       Wu Sike, Former Special Envoy of China on the Middle East Issue

         •       Rong Ying, Former Vice President, China Institute of International Studies (CIIS)

         •       Zhang Yuan, Professor, Middle East Studies Institute, Shanghai International Studies University; Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Arab World Studies

         •       Li Wei, Executive Vice President, Shaanxi Academy of International Studies

         •       Naseem Khan Achakzai, Director, Grandview Institution Islamabad Center

         •       Naser Al-Tamimi, Researcher, Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI), Expert on Saudi Arabia

         •       Barçın Yinanç, Foreign Policy Analyst, T24 News Platform, Türkiye

         •       Mohammadbagher Forough, Professor of World History and International Relations, Erasmus University Rotterdam (Iran Specialist)

         •       Dale Aluf, Founder, The Thinking Politics Think Tank (Israel Expert)

         •       Mohammad Eslami, Research Fellow, School of Social and Political Sciences, European University Institute

         •       Camille Lons, Deputy Director, Paris Office, European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR)

         •       Leonie Reese, Policy Officer, Middle East and North Africa Division, German Federal Foreign Office

         •       Jasmin Schönberger, Assistant to the Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, SPD Parliamentary Group, German Bundestag

         •       Marcus Schneider, Director, Peace and Security Centre for the Middle East and North Africa, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES)

         •       Clemens Starke, Project Manager, Peace and Security Centre for the Middle East and North Africa, FES

         •       Zhou Huijing, Project Manager, FES Beijing Office