On October 29, the 2024 University Alliance of the Belt & Road Forum was held at Lanzhou University. The theme of this forum is "International Education Collaboration under the Circumstances of Digital Empowerment, Green Innovation and Shared Development." More than 100 experts and scholars from 68 Chinese and overseas universities and international organizations from 17 countries assembled to strengthen friendship and discuss development.

Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, President (Vice-Ministerial Level) and Deputy Party Secretary of Lanzhou University; Secretary of the Gansu Provincial Party Committee's Education Working Leading Group, Secretary of the Gansu Provincial Party Committee's Education Working Committee, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director of the Gansu Provincial Department of Education; Deputy Director and Party Leadership Group Member of the Foreign Affairs Office of the People’s Government of Gansu Province. and Academician of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, delivered speeches at the opening ceremony of the forum and Pakistani Ambassador to China, Khalil Hashmi, delivered a video speech. Chen Zhihua, a faculty member from BRS of BNU, was invited to attend the meeting and delivered a speech in the "Belt and Road Green Development" session.

Chen Zhihua, with the theme of "Green Development of the Belt and Road: Cooperation Perspective of New Energy Mineral Industry Chain," expounded the important role of cooperation in new energy electric vehicles and related mineral industries in promoting the green development of the Belt and Road, and analyzed the future cooperation potential between China and the Belt and Road countries in related fields.

During the meeting, Chen Zhihua was interviewed by Gansu TV and introduced the efforts made by the Belt and Road School of Beijing Normal University in cultivating international students and its positive contributions to promoting international education cooperation in Belt and Road countries.

In recent years, Beijing Normal University has actively responded to the Belt and Road Initiative and the proposition of "building a community with a shared future for mankind." Leveraging its academic strengths, BNU has pursued continuous theoretical and practical innovations. A significant milestone came in 2018 with the establishment of the Belt and Road School, which has further deepened educational, scientific, cultural, and collaborative exchanges with countries and regions participating in the Belt and Road. Through these efforts, BNU has cultivated a group of high-level experts and skilled professionals in related fields, while also producing a series of impactful research publications.

In October 2015, Beijing Normal University, Lanzhou University, Ural State University of Economics in Russia, Pukyong National University in South Korea and 46 other universities from 8 countries and regions jointly issued the "Dunhuang Consensus" and initiated the establishment of the University Alliance of Belt and Road. The scale of the alliance continues to expand. As of now, there are 188 universities at home and abroad, covering 27 countries and regions on five continents.