The Belt and Road Initiative is an important national development strategy. EdUHK has long been committed to building interdisciplinary research networks, educational and cultural exchanges and other collaboration with universities and associations in Belt and Road countries. As part of this, the University has organised an array of events in recent months.

In May, a thematic symposium, entitled the ‘International Chinese Language Education and Belt and Road Education Cooperation Symposium’ was held by EdUHK in collaboration with Xinjiang Normal University. The symposium was co-organised by the Beijing Language and Culture University, Kashgar University, Minzu University of China, Shandong Normal University and Yunnan Normal University. It was part of the China-Central Asia Industry-Academia-Research Collaboration Conference, which was co-organised by the Ministry of Education of China and The People’s Government of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

To share the latest findings on advancing education and diversity learning, and explore the integration of artificial intelligence and educational technology in special education, EdUHK organised the ‘Bridging Borders through Technology: Belt & Road Conference on Special Education’ in collaboration with SDU University in Kazakhstan and Sultan Idris Education University in Malaysia on 20 May. The conference also featured an exhibition area with participation from eight organisations from Hong Kong and Malaysia, which demonstrated how AI-driven, Big Data and innovation tools can address challenges in education, and support students with special educational needs.

Also in May, EdUHK held the inaugural Contemporary Art and Music Performance Festival on its campus in Tai Po, in collaboration with the Romer String Quartet. The festival was dedicated to promoting contemporary music and fostering cross-cultural dialogue, and featured selected contemporary works exploring the theme of ‘Composer and Performer Interaction,’ by both local and international composers.

In June, EdUHK held the ‘Belt and Road International Conference on Multilingual Education, Cultural Heritage and Talent Cultivation’. The conference explored how multilingual education can promote cultural integration, maintain the cultural continuity of overseas Chinese communities, and strengthen education collaboration and talent cultivation among various countries and regions. Keynote speakers were from Al-Farabi Kazakh National University / Kazakh National Women’s Teacher Training University, Beijing Language and Culture University, EdUHK and Nanyang Technological University, along with plenary speakers from universities and associations in Indonesia, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Vietnam.