Opening ceremony of the 56th IKCEST Training Programme for Silk Road Engineering Science and Technology Development & the 1st Shanxi University “Silk Road Convergence” Training Programme for International Students was successfully held in the School of International Education and Exchange of Shanxi University on the morning of June 22nd, 2019. This programme was co-hosted by the International Knowledge Centre for Engineering Sciences and Technology (IKCEST) under the Auspices of UNESCO, Xi’an Jiaotong University and Shanxi University, and was organized by IKCEST Silk Road Training Base. Liyan from International Education and Exchange of Shanxi University hosted the opening ceremony. Zhu Lujun, Dean of School of International Education and Exchange of Shanxi University, Zhang Shulin, Executive Deputy Director of the Teacher Training Center of Colleges and Universities in Shanxi Province, Di Dehai, Dean of School of Continuing Education of Xi'an Jiaotong University, attended the opening ceremony.

      Zhu Lujun, Dean of School of International Education and Exchange of Shanxi University, made a welcome speech on behalf of Shanxi University. He extended a warm welcome to the leaders and experts from Xi’an Jiaotong University as well as the IKCEST Silk Road training team, and expressed his appreciation for Shanxi University being chosen to host Training Programme for Silk Road Engineering Science and Technology Development. In his speech, he said that more than 60 foreign students from 11 countries and regions studying in Shanxi University registered for the programme this year, which fully demonstrates the popularity and influence of this training programme among foreign students in Chinese universities. Dean Zhu also expressed some requirements to the trainees. He hoped that the trainees could make good use of this opportunity to improve their abilities in various aspects through this training so as to become a comprehensive talent that can adapt to international development. He also hoped that they could understand China and the world in depth so as to become a cultural envoy for the promotion of the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative and friendly international exchanges.

      Di Dehai, Dean of School of Continuing Education of Xi’an Jiaotong University, introduced the background, development, goal and significance of IKCEST Silk Road Training Base. He pointed out that Shanxi University is one of the most important cradles of Chinese higher education and a crucial institution for spreading culture. He also said that with a 117-year-long history, Shanxi University has always been rooted in the fertile soil of Chinese civilization, and has made important contributions to the development of Chinese higher education. The cooperation with Shanxi University is a positive response to the Belt and Road Initiative. He expressed that with the joint efforts, the relations between China and Silk Road countries will get closer and last forever.

      This training is the first cooperative effort between Shanxi University, IKCEST Silk Road Training Base and Xi’an Jiaotong University to contribute to the Belt and Road Initiative. It aims to jointly cultivate personnel for Belt-road countries, improving the quality of education for international students, promoting cultural, scientific, technological and educational exchanges so as to contribute to economic and social development of European, Asian and African Belt-road countries and regions.