BEIJING, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- In support of China's national Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Peking University announced its new Belt and Road Institute at a ceremony on Friday, April 20, 2018. The Institute will be led by the University's top-ranked Guanghua School of Management.
Demonstrating broad support for the Institute, the launch ceremony was attended by ZHENG Jianbang, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference; ZHAO Ai, Director of the General Affairs Office of the Steering Group for the Belt and Road Initiative; WANG Dinghua, Director of the Ministry of Education's Department of Teacher Education; key administrators of Peking University; and government representatives and business executives from across the globe.
The BRI was announced in 2013 as a way to drive economic development in countries surrounding China's ancient silk road trade routes, including countries across Asia, North and East Africa, and Europe. During the Belt and Road Institute's launch ceremony, Peking University Vice President WANG Bo acknowledged China's growing international role as context for the creation of the Institute: "China's development has entered a new stage since the country's reform and opening forty years ago. China has become intrinsically linked to the rest of the world."
The Institute will provide educational opportunities to future leaders in BRI-related countries, conduct research relevant to BRI projects, and serve as a platform for people-to-people exchange. Accomplishing these goals will involve interdisciplinary coordination between PKU Guanghua's globally-recognized business experts and academic resources available through Peking University's other world-class faculties.
Outlining upcoming plans for student recruitment, PKU Guanghua Dean LIU Qiao shared "In 2018, we will begin to recruit ambitious and bright individuals with strong leadership skills and global vision from BRI-related countries." Incoming students can initially apply for PKU Guanghua's undergraduate program, international MBA and EMBA programs, and non-degree global executive education programs. Additional programs will be added in future years.
PKU Guanghua has begun seeking partners to support the Institute's mission. Financial support provided by partners will allow the Institute to build its curriculum and provide full scholarships for students accepted into its program. Companies or individuals interested in partnering with the Belt and Road Institute can contact PKU Guanghua to learn about opportunities. Students interested in applying to one of the Institute's programs can email deans@gsm.pku.edu.cn.
