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Chinese Higher Education and One Belt One Road Initiative

Introduction of One Belt One Road (OBOR) Initiative

Since 2013, Chinese government proposed the One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative strategy which promotes economic connection and cooperation that primarily covers Asia, Europe, South Asia and Southeast Asia. The OBOR initiative mainly focuses on infrastructure investment, construction materials, railway and highway, real estate, power grid, and iron and steel. Coupled with this strategy, Chinese Government initiated the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to address the financial needs. Various countries signed on the Articles to become members. Each member registered capital into the Bank. As of 2015, the total authorized capital from all memberships of the AIIB is $100 billion.

Higher Education Plays an Important Role in the OBOR Initiative

China's education, especially higher education can play its own special role.

First, the role of school think tank. University social scientists accounted for more than 80% of the national science workers. In addition, the main force of country and regional research is also in colleges and universities. Colleges also have a strong advantage, especially in high-level cultural exchanges. The role of colleges and universities as think tanks, is to actively develop the OBOR initiative national research, to give advice for national strategic decision-making, to actively explore the exchange of international cooperation for the new regional governance system and even global governance to provide China's wisdom and the Chinese model. For the market, the role of colleges is to do a good job of OBOR knowledge broadcasting. Market demands research work, researchers can provide advisory services to the community. In addition, colleges play an important role in assisting the relevant industry to develop quality standards.

Second, the role of talents training in colleges and universities. The most important mission and responsibility of the university in the construction of the OBOR initiative is the cultivation of talents, and providing talent support and intellectual support for the OBOR initiative. Moreover, in serving the OBOR initiative, higher education should actively strengthen the cooperation between colleges and business cooperation, promoting research with the high-quality talents cultivation.

Third, colleges and universities have rich domestic and foreign alumni resources. Colleges and universities alumni are all over the world, as a rich human resources and diplomatic resources of the OBOR initiative that plays an important role.

Fourth, the development of language strategy. Lacking of language talent has become a constraint to promote China's OBOR initiative. At present, there are more than 40 official languages in the OBOR initiative member states, and the widely used languages are 200However, only 20 are taught by our universities. It is necessary for Universities to improve language education. For example, Beijing Language and Culture University, as a well-established language university, recently set up a "high-level language resources innovation center", the next five years the goal is to collect OBOR Initiative along the country's language, do a good job of language resources, create a language intelligent industry, and actively serve the OBOR initiative construction.

 

Edited by Ran Yu