The University Alliance of the Silk Road Forum 2023 kicks off in Xi'an on Oct 8.

Lu Jianjun, secretary of the CPC XJTU Committee, delivers a speech during the event.

The University Alliance of the Silk Road Forum 2023 kicked off at Western China Science and Technology Innovation Harbour in Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province, on Oct 8.

The forum, titled "Developments and Innovations in Higher Education in an Era of New Technological Revolution," was hosted by the University Alliance of the Silk Road and organized by Xi'an Jiaotong University (XJTU).

It aims to promote high-quality collaboration among countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in various fields, such as education, culture, technology, industry, and healthcare. Its goal is to make the alliance a significant cooperative platform in response to the BRI.

Wang Xiao, vice governor of Shaanxi province, Xi Ru, second-level inspector from Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges, Ministry of Education, Lu Jianjun, secretary of the CPC XJTU Committee, Wang Shuguo, president of XJTU, and other related officials and representatives from 55 colleges and universities around the world attended the event.

Xi Guang, vice president of XJTU, presided over the opening ceremony.

Lu, on behalf of XJTU, expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Education and the provincial government for their guidance and support and extended a warm welcome to the guests.

He stated that during the eight years since the establishment of the alliance, its operational mechanisms have continued to be improved, branded activities have been carried out extensively, international influence has steadily increased, and its core functions have become stronger. It has already become an essential platform for cultural exchange and cooperation among countries and regions involved in the BRI.

XJTU will take the forum as an opportunity to transform the Innovation Harbour into a high-level and open innovation engine and contribute more wisdom and strength to the high-quality development of the BRI.

In an online speech, Chen Jie, deputy Minister of Education, extended his congratulations on the opening of the forum. He said that he hoped that universities within the alliance will use the forum as an opportunity to deepen exchanges, strengthen cooperation, and further enhance collaboration in innovation, talent development, industry-education integration, and cultural exchange.

On behalf of the Shaanxi Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Government, Wang Xiao offered his congratulations on the successful opening of the forum and conveyed the same hopes.

Prof Donatella Sciuto, representative of the current rotating chair institution of the alliance and president of Politecnico di Milano, delivered a speech online. She mentioned that XJTU and Politecnico di Milano are long-term educational partners, continuously collaborating in talent development and research innovation. It is hoped that both universities can work together in unity and become reliable partners, contributing to the development of the alliance.

During the event, a welcome ceremony for new members of the alliance took place. To date, a total of 14 new universities have applied to join the alliance, and Wang Shuguo presented commemorative gifts to the representatives of the new member universities.

The forum also launched the "China-Central Asia Higher Education Cooperation Forum" mechanism, and the BRI Industry-Education Alliance Initiative.

Following the opening ceremony, keynote speeches were delivered online and offline by Jean-Pierre Raffarin, former prime minister of the French Republic, Zhang Xiangchen, deputy director-general of the World Trade Organization, and others.