Xi'an Jiaotong University (XJTU), the chair and secretariat institution of the Silk Road University Alliance, has partnered with Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (Kazakhstan), Samarkand State University (Uzbekistan), Ozyegin University (Turkiye), and Benha University (Egypt) to launch the "Youth Bond Silk Road: SDGs in Action" summer camp series.

Sixty young participants from eleven countries representing the five partner universities gathered in Xi'an to take part in the inaugural camp from Aug 23 to 30.

The campers visited the Jiaotong University Westward Relocation Museum to witness the passing down of a proud legacy. At iHarbor, they toured the digital innovation exhibition hall and the higher education engineering museum, and enjoyed an immersive VR experience titled "Meeting Terracotta Warriors in XJTU."

At Qujiang Campus, the campers stepped into the State Key Laboratory of Manufacturing Systems Engineering to experience firsthand how a "Double First-Class" university conducts teaching and scientific research facing global technological frontiers and major national strategic needs.

Throughout the event, participants tried their hand at pottery making, explored hanfu (traditional Chinese clothing) culture and traditional rituals, and discovered guqin (one of China's most ancient musical instruments), gaining an intuitive appreciation for the evolution of Chinese civilization.

Following the inaugural camp at XJTU, subsequent summer camp sessions will be hosted by partner universities across Silk Road countries and regions. These upcoming sessions will empower youth along the Silk Road to exchange perspectives on global challenges and contribute their insights and energy to the pursuit of sustainable development goals and the advancement of the Belt and Road Initiative.