On June 10, Shan Zhiwei, vice-president of Xi'an Jiaotong University (XJTU), was invited to represent the university online at the 3rd Conference of the BRICS Association of Transport Universities held in St. Petersburg, Russia, where he delivered a keynote report.

The conference was attended by the rector of Emperor Alexander I St. Petersburg State Transport University, the Russian Federal Railway Transport Agency, the executive chairman of the Russian Council for Science and Higher Education, and representatives of several transport-related universities and enterprises from BRICS countries.

During the conference, nearly 40 participants engaged in discussions on strengthening alliance activities in the context of BRICS expansion, jointly addressing technological, academic, organizational, economic, environmental, and legal issues in the field of transportation, enhancing talent training in the transportation industry, and exploring the current status and prospects of the BRICS transportation complex.

Consensus was reached on issues such as strengthening cooperation in talent training among BRICS transport universities and enhancing collaboration in technological innovation.

Shan in his report highlighted XJTU's unique educational features as a comprehensive institution and its innovative exploration amid the deep integration of industry, academia, and research.

He noted that Xi'an, as the geographic center of China and the starting point of the ancient Silk Road, is not only the start and endpoint of the China-Europe Railway Express "Chang'an", but also hosts the station with the largest number of China-Europe trains in the nation. It boasts the first inland automated unmanned terminal in China, with rail transport capacity and annual container throughput among the highest in the country.

In the future, XJTU looks forward to collaborating with participating units on the construction and development of the China-Europe Railway Express.

Also at the conference, an expansion declaration titled "On Joining the Association of Rectors of Transport Universities BRICS" was discussed and issued, including XJTU as a member.

The association was launched by Emperor Alexander I St. Petersburg State Transport University in 2018, aiming to maintain, strengthen, and develop cooperation and exchanges among higher education institutions in BRICS countries, focusing on cultivating top transportation talents and promoting scientific research and industrial development in the transportation field.