To comply with “The Belt and Road” initiative to further promote cooperation between CUPK and its cooperative universities in Central Asian countries, Zhang Hongyan, vice president of the campus, led a school delegation to have paid a successful in-depth study visit from December 8 to 13 to the following ten institutions: Ministry of Culture of Kyrgyzstan, Chinese Embassy in Kyrgyzstan, Chinese Embassy in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyz Russian Slavic University, Kyrgyz State Technical University, Tashkent University of Information Technologies, and Turin University of Technology the Turin Polytechnic University in Tashkent, Confucius Institute of Bishkek National University and a local middle school. The members of the delegation are leaders from the administrative departments of the campus and heads of colleges.

Vice President Zhang Hongyan made an introduction to the history, development status quo and future planning of the CUPK in her meeting with Chyngyz Esengur, the first deputy minister of the Kyrgyz Ministry of Culture. She said that her university would keep building an international academic exchange platform in an orderly manner by adhering to the school running goal of serving the “The Belt and Road” construction to expand the enrollment of foreign students in China, and to build featured brand activities, such as the World Energy University Alliance - International Geological Summer Camp. Zhang’s introduction also covered the plans for deepening exchanges and cooperation with its partners to achieve more results in talent cultivation, scientific research, etc.

Esengur said that the significant progress made in major projects such as the China Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan Railway has brought new opportunities for the economic development of Kyrgyzstan, when new challenge like talent shortage also emerged. He hoped that more outstanding young people from Kyrgyzstan could study in China’s high-level universities such as CUPK. This could not only inject new vitality into the construction of Kyrgyzstan, but also help build a more solid friendship bridge for the construction of a community of shared future between China and Kyrgyzstan.

The delegation also visited Chinese embassies in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, where they had in-depth exchanges with Ambassador Yu Jun and Minister Counselor Li Baojie. Apart from her introduction to the status quo of education at CUPK and the purpose of her visit, Zhang expressed her concern for the cooperation between CUPK and its peers in Central Asian countries. She hoped that Chinese embassies could provide assistance in expanding cooperation for substantive results in the future. Chinese diplomatic officials of the two embassies fully affirmed the achievements of CUPK, when they also expressed their wishes that CUPK should make the best use of its geographical advantages to give full play to its educational and academic achievements in upgrading its education program for international students studying in China for the deepening of the educational and cultural exchanges between China and Kyrgyzstan, and between China and Ukraine to facilitate the implementation of the “The Belt and Road” initiative.

During her visit to universities, Zhang and her delegation held symposiums with Chunybaev Mirlan, President of Kyrgyz National Technical University, Sergei Yuryevich, President of Kyrgyz Russian Slavic University, Komil Tashev, President of Tashkent University of Information Technology, Djamshid Sultanaov, Vice President, Ashurov Alisher, Vice President of Turin Polytechnic University Tashkent Branch, and Yusupov Jalolliddin, Vice President.

At each symposium, Zhang provided an overview of the CUPK’s history, her latest development, and cooperation intentions. After in-depth exchanges with leaders of the above universities, CUPK finally reached an agreement with multiple parties to have dual degree joint training programs in areas of petroleum and natural gas, Russian and Chinese language training programs mechanical engineering, software engineering and artificial intelligence, coupled with summer camps, summer internships, as well as joint applications for the Erasmus+program and intergovernmental international scientific research cooperation projects in professional fields.

The delegation also visited Confucius Institute at Bishkek State University, the 95th Middle School in Bishkek, and the 59th Middle School in Tashkent, where they were warmly received by the aforementioned parties. They entered several Chinese language teaching classrooms and took the chance to show local students the strengths of CUPK with the relevant policies for studying in China.

This is the second visit of CUPK leaders to Central Asian countries after their visit to Kazakhstan earlier this year. It is an important step for our university to actively integrate into the national “Belt and Road” initiative for implementing the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s reply to our school’s Central Asian students. The visit is noted for “visiting wide-ranging and high-level institutions, exchanging profound and comprehensive information. It not only deepened our understanding of national education, economic industries, cultural exchanges, and other aspects of Central Asian countries, but also clarified the direction of our school about our cooperation with foreign countries. In addition, this visit serves as a solid step towards establishing our school as a hub for technological innovation and achievement transformation in the Silk Road region, a base for technological and cultural exchange targeting Central Asian countries.