Foreign students attend the camp’s opening ceremony online.

The 2021 University Alliance of the Silk Road Summer Camp of Xi'an Jiaotong University was opened on July 19 in Xi'an, Shaanxi province in Northwest China.

Nearly 300 Chinese and foreign students from more than 80 schools across 41 countries, including Russia, Spain and Italy,  attended the opening ceremony.

Wen Guangrui, executive vice dean of the School of International Education, said that Xi'an Jiaotong University, as the organizer of the alliance, has carried out various online and offline activities to promote interactive cooperation in personnel training, scientific research and cultural exchanges.  

The summer camp provides a good platform for global students to understand cutting-edge technology and appreciate Chinese culture. It is also an opportunity for students to communicate and interact, Wen said.

Shah Azaz Ali, a Pakistani student from Xi'an Jiaotong University, and Igor Park, a Russian student from Bauman National University of Technology, spoke at the ceremony as representatives of the foreign students attending the camp.

Shah Azaz Ali shared stories of his colorful studies and life in Xi'an Jiaotong University, and welcomed students from all over the world to take the opportunity to experience the history and cutting-edge technology of the university.

Igor Park said that he looked forward to the summer camp giving him the chance to experience Chinese culture.

The summer camp is a collaboration between Xi'an Jiaotong University and universities within the alliance. Together they seek to explore new ways of online communication, in the  hopes that it will promote global students' scientific and technological exploration, language learning, and cultural interaction.

The 7-day summer camp will use online teaching and interactive exchanges to hold a series of lectures for youth in the alliance. These will cover cutting-edge science and technology, history and culture, new energy, chip technology, new media governance, and science and technology organization development.

Lu Hongyan contributed to the story.