On October 30, the 2020 Conference & Presidents' Forum of the Belt and Road Architectural University International Consortium was held through cloud services, which set up a bridge among the consortium members. More than 150 architectural universities' presidents, architectural experts, and scholars from 26 universities in 12 countries, including China, Britain, France, Russia, Poland, and Armenia, had extensive discussions, both online and offline, about creating a Belt and Road community of architectural education. They discussed the cultivation of innovative talents, communication and cooperation in the field of architectural engineering, and how to cope with new opportunities and challenges in the future against the backdrop of regular pandemic prevention and control worldwide, with hopes of further boosting the exchanges and cooperation among architectural universities in countries along the Belt and Road routes.

The Belt and Road Architectural University International Consortium was initiated by Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture (BUCEA) in 2017. The consortium has continuously expanded its circle of friends over recent years, with 7 new entrants this year, driving the total membership to 64 entities in 27 countries. The consortium actively promotes the application of new technologies in architecture. To meet the needs for eco-environmental protection and sustainable development along the Belt and Road, it promotes the joint research and application of new technologies such as remote sensing and big data and organizes the members to jointly apply for international cooperation projects. BUCEA, leveraging its two advantageous disciplines of architecture and civil engineering, is also holding international summer sessions annually to tighten the ties among universities from different countries.

At the meeting, Jiang Zeting, Secretary of the CPC Committee of BUCEA, proposed that the Consortium should keep its eyes on demands of the time and truly exert the universities' positive role in pioneering sci-tech progress and tackling global challenges. Meanwhile, the Consortium members, upholding innovative concepts, should create more open and inclusive talent cultivation mode, and join hands to strengthen global cooperation so that they can brew new opportunities amidst crisis and foster a global community of higher education in architecture.

Zhang Ailin, President of BUCEA, said that in 2021, the Consortium should improve its operating mechanism, work harder on international communication, and expand its international influence. It should propel in-depth educational and scientific research cooperation among the members, launch cooperative education in various forms, and promote the sharing of quality educational resources. He called for continued efforts to create prestigious brands of student design contests and summer sessions and hold a successful 2021 conference & presidents' forum. Besides, he urged the Consortium to start formulating the five-year action plan for 2025 and preparing for relevant international exchange events.

Yu Haiyong, a member of the Leading Party Members' Group and Deputy Director-general of Foreign Affairs Office of the People's Government of Beijing Municipality, Huang Kan, level-1 inspector of Beijing Municipal Education Commission, and Salvatore Castiglione, Vice President of the Hauts-de-France region attended the Conference and delivered speeches.