Fifth Anniversary Commemorative Celebration of BRAUIC & Forum on Higher Education in Architecture takes place

Competition Foundation Donation Ceremony

The Fifth Anniversary Commemorative Celebration of BRAUIC & Forum on Higher Education in Architecture was held at Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture (BUCEA) on November 13. It is learned that the BRAUIC (Belt and Road Architectural University International Consortium) has been expanding over the past five years since its establishment, comprising of 74 higher education institutions from 28 countries today.

Create platforms to promote the development of architectural universities

To implement the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), BUCEA initiated the founding of BRAUIC on October 10, 2017.

BRAUIC has been engaging in top-level design and improving its operation mechanism in the last five years. The work the organization has done includes releasing BRAUIC Development Declaration and BRAUIC Five-year Action Plan (2021-2025); deepening communication and cooperation with universities and institutions in the countries and regions along the Belt and Road; exploring new models of external exchanges under ongoing COVID-19 response; and holding serial signature events that integrate online and offline activities including "cloud competition", "cloud summer school" and "cloud exhibition".

Over the past five years, BRAUIC has also been promoting international contacts and expanding its circle of friends globally. With the accession of Nanchang University in China and S. Seifullin Kazakh Agrotechnical University in Kazakhstan this year, its membership has grown to 74 institutions from 28 countries.

Based on the BRAUIC, BUCEA has carried out international exchanges on education and expanded its global cooperation networks in recent years. Up till now, it has collaborated with 104 universities and institutions from 44 countries and regions, including the United States, France, the United Kingdom and Russia, to embrace diversified campus cultures and create an internationalized education environment.

Enhance sci-tech innovation capacities of teachers and students through competitions

The 2022 Belt and Road International Student Competition on Digital Architectural Design, themed "Railway: A New Bond Along the Silk Road", encourages global college students to explore how to preserve the historical features of railways and cities along the Silk Road, improve overall quality, and achieve sustainable development by leveraging their digital skills.

This year saw a record number of teams and entries. Among over 100 entries by more than 650 students and teachers from 45 universities in 11 countries, 60 won awards.

Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering won the first prize in the category of Architectural Design; Anhui Jianzhu University topped the Structural Design; and BUCEA ranked No.1 in Scene Modelling and Visualization.

Explore cooperation models and envisage future architectural education

Six experts from Wuhan University, Nanchang University, Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology, Politecnico di Milano, and the University of East London delivered keynote speeches, which covered the following topics: the role of BRAUIC in promoting architectural education; new trends in architectural higher education in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic; experience of how architectural universities established governance systems; how architectural universities support Belt and Road cooperation in practice; and how to upgrade architectural education to better serve Belt and Road cooperation.

Since its establishment, BRAUIC has served as the platform for member universities to dovetail their development strategies with the Consortium's cooperation initiatives, which has intensified the substantive cooperation among members. A number of international signature projects have since been launched, and a regular mechanism has been put in place. Such efforts have produced notable results in nurturing architectural talents with international competence and promoting cooperation in scientific and technological innovation. Going forward, BRAUIC, by upholding the Silk Road spirit - peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit, will further explore mechanisms and models of cooperation and exchange among architectural universities, enhance the cultivation of professionals in engineering science and technology in countries and regions along the Belt and Road, and provide technical and intellectual support for Belt and Road cooperation, according to Zhang Dayu, president of BRAUIC and BUCEA.

(Reporter: Du Yan)