“Silk Road Connections, Wisdom Converges in Jiangnan” — Jiangnan University Successfully Hosts the First Silk Road International Student Forum and Internship Base Signing Ceremony

On June 20, Jiangnan University’s School of Business successfully held the “First Silk Road International Student Forum and Internship Base Signing Ceremony” at the School of Business. The event was organized by the School of Business and jointly supported by the International Office and the Graduate Affairs Office of Jiangnan University, Wuxi National Hi-tech District Talent Group Co., Ltd., and the Wuxi E-commerce Association.

Under the theme “Silk Road Connections, Wisdom Converges in Jiangnan,” the event focused on educational cooperation and industry-education integration within the framework of the “Belt and Road” Initiative. Through four major segments—international student keynote sharing, internship base signing, donation of a student development fund, and economic-cultural dialogue—the event aimed to establish a new platform for collaborative talent training between universities and enterprises.

The event was attended by Prof. Ye Ni, Director of the International Office; Ms. Yin Wang, Deputy Director of the International Office; Mr. Zhou Chen, Deputy Director of the Graduate Affairs Office; Mr. Changqing Liu, CPC Secretary of the School of Business; Prof. Lei Wang, Deputy Dean of the School of Business; Ms. Yin Yan, Chairwoman of Wuxi National Hi-tech District Talent Group; Mr. Ke Xu, Vice President of the Wuxi E-commerce Association; as well as representatives from 15 Chinese enterprises and industry associations. Over 30 Silk Road Project international students also participated. The event was hosted by Mr. Jie Tang, Director of the MBA/MEM Education Center Office.

In her speech, Prof. Ye Ni briefly reviewed the development of Jiangnan University’s Silk Road Project. She emphasized that the university upholds the educational philosophy of “advancing the Belt and Road and deepening industry-education integration,” aiming to serve the developmental and innovative practices of countries along the Belt and Road. The goal is to cultivate high-quality business management talents who possess a global vision, familiarity with Chinese practices, and entrepreneurial and innovative capabilities. She wished that the forum and internship base signing would promote a deeper integration of the university’s international education with the industrial, talent, and innovation chains—building a multidimensional and comprehensive ecosystem for cooperation between universities, enterprises, governments, and associations.

During the International Student Forum segment, Mr. Sangar Wahidullah and Mr. Bilal Rezai, Cohort of 2024 MBA students from Afghanistan, delivered a presentation titled “Afghanistan’s Strategic Role in the Belt and Road and Silk Road.” They introduced Afghanistan’s geographical landscape and analyzed its economic and trade potential as a strategic hub connecting Eurasia., Ms. Shahenda Gamal Shaban Mahmoud Abdelazem, a Cohort of 2024 MBA student from Egypt, delivered a keynote titled “In-Depth Analysis of Egypt’s Consumer Market: Opportunities, Challenges, and Success Strategies.” Drawing on local insights, she revealed new market opportunities and used detailed data and case studies to offer valuable regional decision-making references for the attending enterprises.

In the “Face-to-Face with Chinese Enterprises” dialogue session, representatives from industries including manufacturing, services, IT, and cross-border e-commerce engaged in discussions with Silk Road international students. Topics included China’s global business expansion, international talent policies, the entrepreneurial environment, and market and industrial development. Both enterprise representatives and students actively participated in the discussion and expressed strong interest in initiating internships and collaborative projects soon.

During the signing ceremony, Prof. Lei Wang signed “Silk Road Project Teaching and Internship Base” agreements with six companies, including Jiangsu Jialida International Logistics Co., Ltd., Yadea Group, and Zhonglianjin Group Wuxi Stainless Steel E-Commerce Center Co., Ltd. Mr. Zhou Chen and Ms. Yin Wang jointly unveiled plaques for the internship bases with enterprise representatives. These internship bases will provide Silk Road Project students with practical opportunities in cross-border e-commerce, international logistics, and project operations, helping them transform academic knowledge into industry capabilities.

Zhonglianjin Group Wuxi Stainless Steel E-Commerce Center Co., Ltd. donated RMB 50,000 to the School of Business to establish the “Zhonglianjin–Jiangnan University Silk Road International Student Development Fund,” which will support future extracurricular and development activities for the international students. Mr. Changqing Liu presented a donation certificate to Ms. Bella, Marketing Director of Zhonglianjin Group.

In his closing remarks, Mr. Changqing Liu acknowledged the practical significance of the student keynotes, expressed appreciation for the establishment of the internship bases, and welcomed the donation of the development fund. He also briefly outlined future directions for university-industry collaboration in support of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Jiangnan University actively responds to China’s call to co-build the “Belt and Road” by leveraging its academic strengths and the industrial advantages of the local region. Since 2020, the university has offered the “Silk Road MBA: High-Level Talent Joint Training Program,” and for five consecutive years, it has been approved for the Ministry of Education’s “Silk Road” Chinese Government Scholarship Program. To date, the program has admitted 67 MBA students from Belt and Road countries such as Afghanistan, Egypt, Yemen, Pakistan, and Vietnam.

The School of Business has taken the lead in organizing the “Silk Road International Student Forum” to strengthen the core value of industry-academia joint training and to build a communication platform among enterprises, the university, and international students. Looking forward, the School of Business will continue to develop the forum into a platform for gathering diverse voices and connecting educational and industrial resources. The aim is to promote dual-track progress in educational cooperation and economic exchange, and to enhance the global influence of the “Study in Jiangnan” brand.

On-site at the event

Speech by Prof. Ye Ni, Director of the International Office, Jiangnan University

Prof. Lei Wang, Deputy Dean of the School of Business, and Ms. Hailing Bao, Director of Overseas Human Resources at Yadea Group, signed a cooperation agreement to establish a student internship

Mr. Zhou Chen, Deputy Director of the Graduate Affairs Office, and Ms. Feng Li, Manager at Jiangsu Jialida International Logistics Co., Ltd., unveiled the plaque for the new internship base

Ms. Yin Wang, Deputy Director of the International Office, and Assistant General Manager of COSCO Shipping Logistics (Jiangyin) Co., Ltd., Ms. Wen, Jiang unveiled the plaque for the internship

Mr. Changqing Liu, CPC Secretary of the School of Business presented the donation certificate of the “ZhongLianJin–Jiangnan University Silk Road International Student Development Fund” to Zhonglianjin Group Wuxi Stainless Steel E-Commerce Center Co.,Ltd.

Mr. Sangar Wahidullah, a Cohort of 2024 Silk Road international student, delivered a keynote speech

Mr. Bilal Rezai, a Cohort of 2024 Silk Road international student, delivered a keynote speech

Ms. Shahenda Gamal Shaban Mahmoud Abdelazem, a Cohort of 2024 Silk Road international student, delivered a keynote speech

Face-to-Face with Chinese Enterprises

Mr. Changqing Liu, CPC Secretary of the School of Business, delivered the closing remarks

Group Photo