The Belt & Road International Forum on Academic & Industrial Cooperation (2023), co-hosted by the China Center for International People-to-People Exchange (CCIPPE) under the Ministry of Education and BUCT, was successfully held on Dec 1, at the Conference Center of Beijing University of Chemical Technology (BUCT). Tan Tianwei, President of BUCT and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Pei Lianjie, Minister of the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in China, Li Jian, Cultural Counselor, Khan Mohammad Wazir, Science and Technology Counselor of the Embassy of Pakistan in China, Cao Diefeng, Deputy Director of the Center for Sino-Foreign People-to-People Exchanges of the Ministry of Education, Cui Dandan, Secretary-General of the "Belt and Road" Green Development International Alliance, Sun Songtao, Vice President of Shandong Linglong Tire Co., Ltd., Bao Guangdong, General Manager of Sinochem International Engineering Co., Ltd., and guests from 12 countries, including Ireland, Greece, Russia, Hungary, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa, Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan, as well as representatives from more than 30 domestic universities attended the forum. The opening ceremony of the forum was presided over by Wang Feng, vice president of BUCT.
Tan Tianwei, pointed out that during the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, which just concluded in October this year, President Xi Jinping and leaders and representatives from all over the world gathered together to share the great achievements of promoting the Belt and Road Initiative. The year 2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative, and the past 10 years of hard work have witnessed China's efforts to deepen cooperation and promote common development with the rest of the world. As the most popular international public good and the largest platform for international cooperation, the Belt and Road Initiative has played an extremely important role in promoting people-to-people exchanges and global cooperation between China and foreign countries. The forum aims to gather global wisdom and focus on the whole chain of academic & industrial cooperation along the Belt and Road, hoping to share and exchange the achievements and experience of promoting academic & industrial cooperation in the Belt and Road Initiative through this platform, and help the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative.
Pei Lianjie pointed out that Indonesian President Joko Widodo recently attended the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and held talks with President Xi Jinping. During the talks, the two sides emphasized that China and Indonesia adhere to extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, complement each other's advantages, and jointly promote development, which has brought great benefits to the people of the two countries and has become an important model for international cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. He thanked this forum for providing a high-quality platform for China and Indonesia in higher education and academic & industrial cooperation, and hoped that through this platform, both sides can exchange and share experience, build cooperation networks, cooperate in research and innovation, and explore more potential cooperation intentions and ideas.
Khan Mohammed Wazir pointed out that there is great potential for scientific and technological cooperation between Pakistan and China, and there are broad prospects for cooperation in the fields of talent exchange, new materials, artificial intelligence, big data, biotechnology, machinery, medicine, and agriculture. It is hoped that the Belt and Road International Forum on Academic & Industrial Cooperation can promote people-to-people exchanges and cooperation between Pakistan and China, promote the sustainable development of the Belt and Road Initiative, and contribute to the cohesion of the deep feelings between Pakistan and China and the building of a global community with a shared future for mankind.
Cui Dandan pointed out in her speech that on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative, we should discuss new ideas and new measures for the Belt and Road academic & industrial Cooperation, which is of great significance for strengthening the joint construction of the country to promote sustainable development and green technology innovation. Promote the in-depth integration of industry, university and research, stimulate the innovation vitality of universities, scientific research institutes, associations and enterprises, promote the market-oriented development of green technology innovation, provide technical support for the low-carbon transformation and green development of the Belt and Road countries, and promote the green Belt and Road Initiative.
Cao Diefeng pointed out that people-to-people exchanges between China and foreign countries are not only an important part of the Belt and Road Initiative, but also a deep-seated force to promote the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind. At present, it is of great significance to promote the organic connection of the education chain, talent chain, innovation chain and industrial chain, deepen the cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries, and promote international academic & industrial cooperation. The holding of this forum is not only a vivid embodiment of the achievements in the field of education, science and technology and cultural exchanges in the past 10 years of the "Belt and Road" construction, but also a vivid practice of promoting the "trinity" development of education, science and technology and talents, and promoting the transformation and application of scientific and technological achievements. It is hoped that all parties will give full play to their own advantages, continue to explore and innovate, and jointly make greater contributions to building an industry-university-research innovation consortium and promoting scientific and technological innovation achievements to benefit more countries and people along the Belt and Road.
Subsequently, Tan Tianwei and Wang Feng signed an agreement and memorandum of cooperation on joint undergraduate training with Tomsk State University in Russia, Jalalabad State University in Kyrgyzstan and Kazan National Research Technological University in Russia on behalf of the university.
In the keynote speech session of the forum report, Ding Lianpu made a report on "Promoting the Belt and Road academic & industrial Cooperation with the Concept of People-to-People Exchange", Wan Cong made a report on "The Belt and Road Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation", Song Nan made a report on "Silk Road Fund to Promote the Belt and Road Cooperation", Sun Songtao made a report on "Integrating into the Belt and Road Initiative and Building an International Talent Echelon", Bao Guangdong made a report on "Thinking on the Needs of Chinese Enterprises Going Global and Thinking on International Competitiveness", and Wang Feng made a report on "Thinking and Practice of Universities Promoting the Belt and Road Cooperation".
In the afternoon of the same day, two parallel sub-forums were held: "The Belt and Road International Talent Training Model and Practice and the Belt and Road Science and Technology Cooperation and Technology Transfer Model and Practice". Twenty-three representatives from universities, research institutions and enterprises at home and abroad made wonderful keynote speeches on topics such as international talent training and academic & industrial cooperation in the context of the "Belt and Road".
At the closing ceremony of the forum, Wang Feng made a concluding speech, saying that 2023 is the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative, and as a popular international public good and a broad platform for international cooperation, the Belt and Road education, science and technology, academic & industrial cooperation has played an important role in promoting people-to-people exchanges and global cooperation between China and foreign countries. This forum further summarized, condensed and discussed the "Belt and Road" international talent training and academic & industrial cooperation, and provided an exchange and sharing platform for universities, research institutions, enterprises and industry associations in the "Belt and Road" countries. During the forum, we signed a number of cooperation agreements, reached a number of cooperation projects, and proposed a series of cooperation measures. We believe that these achievements will become a strong support for our future international cooperation with Belt and Road partners. BUCT will focus on the "Belt and Road" international talent training and academic & industrial cooperation in the whole chain, continue to build international joint research centers, international joint laboratories and international cooperation alliances and other platforms to promote education and scientific and technological innovation, promote talent training, and inject new vitality into the development of the "Belt and Road" countries.