To thoroughly implement the national education opening-up strategy and to strengthen the university’s international exchanges and cooperation, on June 12, Yue Xiaokui, the Member of the Standing Committee of the University Party Committee and Vice President of NPU, was invited to attend the Presidents Roundtable Forum and Third Council Meeting of University Network for Research Collaboration: A Belt and Road Science and Technology Initiative (iUNRC), where he delivered a keynote speech. Li Xin, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Adolf Faustine Mkenda, the Minister of Education, Science and Technology of Tanzania, along with other Chinese and foreign guests, attended the meeting and delivered opening remarks.
The conference centered on the theme “Cross-Domain AI Cooperation: Co-building a New Ecosystem of Education, Science and Technology, and Talent for ‘Belt and Road’ Universities.” It called for actively leveraging the strengths of universities as hubs of talent and innovation, and advocated for a more proactive and pragmatic approach to promoting resource sharing, joint talent cultivation, academic synergy, and the transformation of research outcomes. The goal is to inject the power of university-led scientific and technological innovation into the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative.
Centering on the conference theme, Yue Xiaokui elaborated on the university's efforts to serve the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative by advancing the internationalization of higher education. He emphasized the importance of deepening educational openness, balancing the "bringing in" and "going global" strategies, and enhancing the international influence of China's higher education. Under the university's internationalization strategy of "Rooted in Asia, Deepening Engagement with Europe, and Extending Global Reach," several key initiatives have been implemented: by attracting high-quality global resources, Northwestern Polytechnical University (NPU) has promoted the localization and integration of international education through the high-level development of the Queen Mary University of London Engineering School, NPU and the NPU-MAI Joint Institute. Adapting to local conditions, NPU co-established NPU Kazakhstan Branch Campus with Ali Farabi Kazakh National University and jointly founded the China-Kazakhstan Excellent Engineering College to facilitate the international expansion of Chinese higher education. In response to major global scientific and technological needs, NPU has also played a leading role in the development of "the Belt and Road" Aerospace Innovation Alliance and signed an agreement with Belarus to establish the Chinese Branch of National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (NASB), contributing to the sustainable development of the Belt and Road Initiative.
The conference brought together representatives from universities in Belt and Road countries, including Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Ambo University of Ethiopia, and the University of Debrecen, as well as delegates from renowned Chinese universities. The University Network for Research Collaboration: A Belt and Road Science and Technology Initiative (iUNRC) was initiated by Chongqing University in 2023. NPU officially became a member of the Alliance following its approval at the Second Council Meeting and Thematic Working Group Conference in 2024. This membership has provided fresh momentum for the university to expand its global collaboration network and enhance its international influence.
Translator: Mei Leyun
Source: NPU News
