On 29 March, 2018, the routine meeting for promoting work for Center for West Africa Studies (CWAS) of the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC) was smoothly held. Present were Professor Shen Xiaorong, Vice Chairperson of University council of UESTC, Professor Zhao, Director of CWAS, Professor Li Ping, Professor Zou Tao, Professor Shang Jizheng, Ms. Lin Min and Mr.Li Zhenyan, a member of the Strategic Committee of CWAS for the meeting.

First of all, Professor Zhao briefly reported to professor Shen Xiaorong on the work of the Center in 2017. Afterwards, Professor Zhao explained an expectation to center based on the three primary goals set, which are to create training base for talents, to build an academic and cultural exchange platform and to develop into a research think tank. Professor Zhao said that there will be the talent-training activities of center in new year, which are training for cadre in West Africa, practical training for students of UESTC in West Africa in summer, the West Africa Teacher Program of USETC and the recruitment of African students, covering a wide range of talents by lots of activities; The  academic exchange programme of centre in the new year was based on the organization of international conferences, international and domestic cooperation projects and the West African Studies Series. A detailed report on the preparations for the 2018 Forum on “The 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up and its implications for African Development”, which will held by the Center and the Editorial office of the Institute of West-Asian and African Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences on April 14th. In terms of think-tank services, the Centre plans to release a series of books about West Africa, which research Ghana as the main subject. Meanwhile center will solicit contributions to release other series of West African books which research Nigeria, Benin and Cote d'Ivoire as main subjects respectively.

The four Deputy Directors of the Center from the School of Economics and Management, the School of Foreign Languages, the Marxist Academy and the International Cooperation and Exchange Service of the University subsequently presented new annual work plans respectively to Prof. Zhao.