On the afternoon of May 22, the 2026 Silk Road International Conference on the Cooperation and Integration of Industry, Education, Research and Application and the Launching Ceremony of Education Cooperation and Exchange Activities was held in Xi’an. The event was held to study and implement the guiding principles of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speeches. It was designed to support the Belt and Road Initiative and the Western Development Strategy in the new era, focusing on nine key fields including energy and chemical engineering and ecological conservation, while coordinating related educational exchange activities. By pooling high-quality resources within the province and building an international platform for the Cooperation and Integration of Industry, Education, Research and Application, the event aims to advance technological breakthroughs, talent cultivation, and achievement commercialization, so as to boost high-quality regional development and enhance the quality and efficiency of Belt and Road education cooperation.

Jin Hao, Deputy Director of the Office of Prince Mohammed’s Royal Office of the United Arab Emirates; Akhmadjon Soleev, Vice President of Samarkand State University; Wang Xiaoyou, Chairman of Uzbekistan Datang International Investment Co., Ltd.; and Chang Jiang, Secretary of the Party Committee of Xi’an Shiyou University (XSYU), jointly attended the signing and unveiling ceremonies of XSYU’s cooperation projects.

At the signing ceremony, Chang Jiang and Jin Hao signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation between Xi’an Shiyou University and the Office of Prince Mohammed’s Royal Office of the UAE. Building on the MoU, the two sides will carry out long-term and in-depth cooperation in areas such as international educational cooperation, international commercialization of research achievements, and multi-party collaboration. They will also actively explore new models of cross-border Cooperation and Integration of Industry, Education, Research and Application in the energy sector, expand the university’s international cooperation channels, and promote the two-way sharing of high-quality educational resources and energy technological achievements.

At the unveiling ceremony, Chang Jiang, Akhmadjon Soleev, and Wang Xiaoyou jointly unveiled the construction launch of Xi'an Shiyou University Uzbekistan Branch (China-Uzbekistan Petroleum University). The Uzbekistan Branch represents a major initiative by XSYU to proactively integrate into the Belt and Road Initiative, implement the spirit of the 2nd China-Central Asia Summit, align with the national strategy of building a strong energy country, and practice the "Chinese Language Plus" education globalization concept. Under the guidance and support of the competent authorities and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, as well as the Ministry of Energy of Uzbekistan, the project will, upon completion, become the first overseas branch campus established by a Chinese university in Uzbekistan as an independent legal entity.

In recent years, XSYU has actively seized opportunities in Silk Road international cooperation and steadily advanced key international projects such as the Turkmenistan Luban Workshop and the Uzbekistan Branch. Through pragmatic measures to deepen international Cooperation and Integration of Industry, Education, Research and Application in the energy sector, the university has continuously improved its international educational standards and its influence in Silk Road energy cooperation.

Moving forward, XSYU will continue to leverage the Silk Road international exchange platform for the Cooperation and Integration of Industry, Education, Research and Application, anchor its internationalization development goals, steadily advance the implementation of overseas educational projects, and deepen practical cooperation with universities and institutions in Central Asian and Middle Eastern countries. By empowering energy cooperation through education and facilitating regional development through the Cooperation and Integration of Industry, Education, Research and Application, XSYU will contribute its strength to serving the national energy strategy and promoting the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative.