The BRICS and the Silk Road Countries Initiate Global Education Projects

The University Alliance of the Silk Road, a non-governmental, non-profit organization promoting international cooperation in higher education, welcomed Washington University in St. Louis as the first North American member of the Alliance, during a conference at Xi’an Jiaotong University (XJTU) in China, held April 7-10. The Chancellor of Washington University, Mark Wrighton, who spoke at the conference, joined the UASR executive committee.

“Strong collaborations with top research universities like Washington University are important not only for our university, but the future of the world,” stated Wang Shuguo, president of Xi’an Jiaotong University. Chancellor Wrighton added, “The Silk Road was the ancient world’s most important conduit of information and technology,” and this initiative is “one that will contribute to the development of human civilization.”

At the same time, XJTU formally joined the McDonnell International Scholars Academy at Washington University, which partners with 31 institutions around the world to attract students to obtain a graduate education.

In parallel, the BRICS Network University, the founding document of which was signed by the Ministers of Education from the BRICS nations in November 2015, is getting underway. It allows 12 universities from each BRICS country to enter the Network University, and the Russian ministry has just approved its list of 12, Russian press report. In November, representatives from the University of Johannesburg paid an official visit to St. Petersburg University to prepare for the Network’s programs in South Africa.

The goal of the Network is to create a new generation of professionals who can work in a multinational environment to “solve problems in economy and society,” St. Petersburg University reports.