A delegation of faculty and students from TJU's College of Management and Economics (CoME) visited Africa, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia for in-depth exchanges.
They precisely addressed the construction needs of Chinese enterprises abroad, deepened mutual learning with partner universities in Asia and Africa, jointly promoted academic exchange and collaboration, injecting strong new momentum into international integration of industry and education innovation and inter-university cooperation.
From June 14 to 22, 2024, a delegation including Mao Zhaofang, Party Secretary of CoME, Zhang Shuibo, Dean of the School of International Project Management, and He Zhen, Director of the Industrial Engineering Department visited universities and Chinese enterprises in Johannesburg, Kenya, and Ethiopia for research exchanges, supporting the development of Chinese enterprises in Africa and contributing strength.
The delegation successively visited the Business School of University of Johannesburg, the Chinese Consulate-General in Johannesburg, as well as five enterprises: Goldwind Africa (overseas subsidiary of Goldwind Science & Technology), Longyuan South Africa Renewables (Pty) Ltd (China Energy Group), China Railway Construction Engineering Group Northeast Africa Regional Headquarters, Africa Star Railway Operation Company Ltd. (CRBC), and CCCC First Highway Engineering Group East Africa Regional Center.
From December 13 to 19, 2024, a delegation including Mao Zhaofang, Party Secretary of CoME, Chair Professor He Zhen, Zhang Shuibo, Dean of the School of International Project Management, Zhang Lianying, Department of Engineering Management, and Meng Junna, Director of the MEM Program visited Chinese enterprises and local universities in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan to research representative Belt and Road projects, promote university-enterprise and international university cooperation, and contribute TJU strength to high-quality Belt and Road construction.
The delegation successively visited five enterprises and one university: China-Uzbekistan Gas Pipeline Company (Sino-Pipeline International), China Energy Engineering Group Overseas Investment Co., Ltd., Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Kazakhstan Gas Pipeline Company (Sino-Pipeline International), Goldwind International Kazakhstan Subsidiary, and Automotive Engineering Corporation Kazakhstan ASTANA Project Department. They conducted field research on projects including the Central Asia-China Gas Pipeline, 500MW Bukhara Photovoltaic Project, Tashkent Solar-Storage Project, Shelek Wind Farm, and ASTANA Multi-Brand Automotive Plant. The research content integrated engineering construction industry and manufacturing, covering traditional energy and new energy projects, spanning the entire lifecycle of project investment, construction and operation.
From January 13 to 27, 2025, the "Concrete Dreams & Silk Road Navigation" practice team went to Southeast Asia for practical research.
The practice team was led by CoME and composed of more than twenty members from multiple schools including the School of Precision Instruments and Opto-Electronics Engineering, the School of Architecture, the School of Electrical Automation and Information Engineering, and Law School. Their journey spanned 12,260 kilometers over 14 days, visiting three countries (Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia), nine enterprises (STECOL CORPORATION South Asia Branch, China Railway Indonesia Representative Office, Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt Co., Ltd., etc.), three universities (National University of Singapore, Sunway University, etc.), and international organizations including the ASEAN Centre for Energy. They conducted on-site research on overseas projects by Chinese enterprises such as Indonesia's Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway, Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur Pavilion Mall project, and Malaysia's Penang Land Reclamation project, personally experiencing how Chinese enterprises implement the Belt and Road Initiative with high quality by establishing overseas presence, meticulous cultivation, and promoting regional development.
From April 19 to May 2, 2025, a study group composed of students from the College of Management and Economics, School of Precision Instruments and Opto-Electronics, and School of Foreign Languages, led by faculty including Du Huibin, Dean of CoME, Liu Dayong, Executive Vice Dean of the School of Public Administration, Liang Xiaojie, Director of the International Accreditation Office, Zeng Zhao, teacher from the Innovative & Practice Base for the Cultivation of Globally Competitive Talents, and Feng Hui, faculty representative from the Global South Academic Research Alliance of TJU, went to Morocco to participate in international conferences and conduct study exchange activities, visiting local universities and research institutions.
The study group conducted in-depth cooperation with the Higher National School of Administration of Morocco (ENSA) in public administration, planning to jointly establish a China-Africa Global Governance Base and launch an "International Master of Public Administration Program" to explore new models for higher education "going global." The two parties also co-hosted international forums such as "Territorial Governance and Regionalization: Chinese-Moroccan Cross-Perspectives" and "Her Power: Women in AI, Redefining Leadership," conducting in-depth discussions on topics including regional governance, digital technology and women's leadership, and signing a memorandum of cooperation.
During the visit, the study group visited Huawei Technologies' Morocco headquarters to research Chinese enterprises' digital infrastructure and localized development practices; visited the Chinese Embassy in Morocco for joint study and exchange on governance modernization and education cooperation; and visited the Moroccan Parliament building to deepen mutual understanding of civilizations through political observation and cultural experience. This activity used diverse exchanges as a link to inject youthful energy into educational cooperation and high-quality Belt and Road development.
Through their visits and series of research activities, faculty and students gained practical understanding of the actual needs of enterprises in Belt and Road countries and strengthened academic exchange and collaboration with overseas universities. Moving forward, CoME will respond to industrial needs under new circumstances, leverage disciplinary advantages, inject new momentum into international integration of industry and education and inter-university cooperation, and support high-quality Belt and Road development.
By: College of Management and Economics
Editor: Sun Xiaofang
