On the afternoon of March 31, faculty and students from the 2025 Cohort of the Master's Program for Developing Countries at the Belt and Road School of Beijing Normal University visited National Financial Information Building to participate in the Student Ambassador recruitment event of China Belt and Road Portal and the Vision China practical learning tour program.

This event was hosted by the China Belt and Road Portal. Jointly guided by the National Development and Reform Commission and Xinhua News Agency, the China Belt and Road Portal serves as the official website for advancing Belt and Road cooperation. In September 2025, the official website of BNU Belt and Road School became the first university or research institution website to be linked on the Portal. International students from our School were also featured as interview guests in the Portal’s special section, “The Belt and Road Initiative Through the Eyes of Generation Z International Students.” This event also formed an important part of our School’s broader effort to organize China-based practical learning for international students. Through on-site field study, students were encouraged to share their observations and experiences in China on their personal social media accounts, presenting vivid and personal perspectives to tell China’s stories and enhance international youth’s understanding of and identification with Belt and Road cooperation. At the same time, the event marked a continuation of the deepening multi-dimensional cooperation between our School and the China Belt and Road Portal.

Following the earlier stages of event launch, broad mobilization, voluntary application, and qualification review, 14 students from 12 Belt and Road partner countries were selected to participate in this student ambassador recruitment activity. During the exchange and sharing session, the students discussed the theme “Belt and Road Cooperation Through My Eyes,” drawing on their own experiences to share their observations, reflections, and deeper insights on the Belt and Road Initiative.

David Mwiya Mbeha (MBEHA DAVID MWIYA) from Namibia spoke from the perspective of “shared development opportunities.” He described how Chinese investment in uranium mining, port expansion, and other projects has created jobs, improved livelihoods, and helped position Namibia as a gateway to Southern Africa. Ardianto Satria Fajar (ARDIANTO SATRIA FAJAR) from Indonesia approached the topic through the lens of “cultural exchange and mutual learning.” Reflecting on his background as an ethnic Chinese from Southeast Asia, he noted that Belt and Road cooperation has not only advanced infrastructure and technological collaboration, but has also fostered people-to-people connectivity through bonds of ancestry, language, and family ties. Sibanda Itai (SIBANDA ITAI) from Zimbabwe focused on “youth responsibility and commitment,” arguing that the Belt and Road Initiative offers systematic solutions for developing countries and helps address development bottlenecks in areas such as energy and infrastructure.

After the exchange session, the students visited the China Solutions Exhibition Hall (Season I), themed “A Win-Win World, Green Development.” Focusing on the globally shared concerns of economic transformation and sustainable development, the exhibition aims to offer useful reference points for countries seeking to overcome the challenges of green development and promote industrial upgrading. As the exhibition emphasizes, “The answer to development lies in symbiosis, and the future of the world depends on working together.” Through the visit, the students developed an even stronger identification with the principles of win-win cooperation and a shared future for mankind advocated by Belt and Road cooperation.

Going forward, the two sides will continue to deepen their strategic collaboration, expand joint content development and communication networks, and bring together more young people to tell the stories of Belt and Road cooperation and its development achievements, thereby contributing broader university-based wisdom to the promotion of win-win cooperation and mutual learning among civilizations.

Contributed by: Niu Hui, Ma Ningzhi

Photos by: Li Jianing