From October 18th to 20th, more than 20 university presidents and entrepreneurs, and over 100 member representatives of the Belt and Road Architectural University International Consortium (BRAUIC) from over 40 universities and institutions, gathered in the beautiful city of Tianjin to attend the 2024 BRAUIC Conference & Forum. The attendees came from 12 countries, including China, Russia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Ethiopia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Greece, Bulgaria, the United Kingdom, Serbia, etc.
Together in Architecture, Building Prosperity for All. the 2024 BRAUIC Conference & Forum was held to jointly explore the cooperation mechanism for the innovative development of architectural disciplines and architectural universities.The conference, themed Opportunities, Challenges, and Sustainable Development: Educational Cooperation Among Architectural Universities under the Belt and Road Initiative, featured a series of events including the Preparatory Meeting, the 2024 BRAUIC Conference and the Presidents’ Forum. Four parallel sub-forums with themes of The Protection and Renewal of Urban and Rural Heritage; Green City and Sustainable Development; Urban Renewal and the Development of New Quality Productive Forces; Artificial Intelligence and Intelligent Manufacturing were also held during the conference. Combining with the Charming Tianjin activity, the conference fully displayed the features and advantages of Tianjin Chengjian University (TCU), the architectural and cultural characteristics and urban landscape of Tianjin, promoted resource sharing, strengthened collaborative innovation, and facilitated international talent cultivation and cross-cultural exchanges. The conference aimed to draw together the blueprint for higher education, build together a community of architectural education, and form together a new pattern of international talent cultivation for architecture in countries along the Belt and Road.
On the morning of October 19th, the 2024 BRAUIC Conference & Forum was held at the lecture hall, Modern Education Centre of TCU. Huang Chunyan, Vice President of the Tianjin Association for Foreign Friendship, Foreign Affairs Office of Tianjin Municipal People’s Government, Zheng Yu, Chairman of Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture(BUCEA) Council, Yu Dehu, President of Shandong Jianzhu University, Margarita Imandossova, Rector of Kazakh Leading Academy of Architecture and Civil Engineering of Kazakhstan, Canbay Turkyilmaz Cigdem, Rector of Samarkand State Architecture and Construction University of Uzbekistan, Zoran Tomić, Rector of University of Mostar of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chen Hongbing, Vice President of BUCEA, Yang Jianwei, Vice President of BUCEA, Li Zao, Vice President of Anhui Jianzhu University, Li Qi, Vice President of Changchun University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Yao bing, Vice President of Changchun University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Sun Yuzhou, Vice President of Henan University of Urban Construction, Lei Peng, Vice President of Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Yan Lijin, Chairman of China Silk Road Group Ltd., Wang Hongzhuan, Secretary general of Beijing International Peace and Culture Foundation, Song Meng, Vice Chairman of the Council and Chairman of the Labor Union, China First Highway Engineering Co. Ltd, Li Zhongbao, Assistant President & Deputy General Manager of Education Division of Glodon Company Ltd., Goi Bok Min, Vice President of Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman of Malaysia, Abraham Debebe Woldeyohannes, Vice President of Addis Ababa Science and Technology University of Ethiopia, Bakhtiyar Sabdenaliyev, First Vice-Rector of Kazakh Leading Academy of Architecture and Civil Engineering of Kazakhstan, and representatives of the BRAUIC members, including Beijing University of Technology, Hebei University of Architecture, Inner Mongolia Technical College of Construction, Nanchang University, Northeastern University of China, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki of Greece, Industrial University of Tyumen of Russia, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember of Indonesia, Russian Academy of Architecture and Construction Science, The University of Kita Kyushu of Japan, University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy of Bulgaria, University of Banja Luka of Bosnia and Herzegovina, University of Novi Sad of Serbia, University of South Wales of the UK, attended the conference. More than 600 people from TCU attended the meeting, including Chairman Shi Qingwei, President Wang Zhongliang, Vice President Chen Zhihua, Vice President Yang Jing, staff of administrative departments, and teacher and student representatives. Wang Zhongliang, Acting Chairman of 2024 BRAUIC Conference & Forum, presided over the conference.
Shi Qingwei expressed warm welcome and sincere greetings to all the guests. He stated that the year of 2024 marked the seventh anniversary of the founding of BRAUIC. Over the past seven years, the consortium had been committed to exploring international connections, expanding its global network, and promoting the efficient integration of international education, talent, industry, and innovation, adhering to the principle of “voluntary equality, open sharing, win-win cooperation, and innovative development”. The BRAUIC had become a vital platform for promoting the cultivation of innovative talents and scientific and cultural exchanges and cooperation in the field of national architectural engineering. Moving forward, TCU would engage in diverse interactions and practical cooperation with various consortium members with a more open attitude, jointly promoting the educational opening up, expanding international academic exchanges and educational research cooperation, and contributing to the consortium’s participation in global education governance.
On behalf of BRAUIC, Zheng Yu, Chairman of BUCEA, delivered a speech. He emphasized that BRAUIC had always been taking co-construction as its original aspiration, cooperation as its core value, and sharing as its main goal and had been committed to promoting educational and scientific research cooperation within the consortium. BRAUIC had been actively building the “Internet plus” international education cooperation model and talent cultivation and sharing mechanism, and constantly strengthening the value and influence of its brand activities. In the future, BRAUIC would further establish a scientific and efficient management mechanism, continuously integrate the disciplinary advantages and further expand academic exchanges and educational research cooperation among the members, forming a more open, integrated, and innovative global higher education community in the field of architectural engineering.
Zoran Tomić, Rector of University of Mostar of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Yu Dehu, President of Shandong Jianzhu University delivered speeches respectively as representatives of BRAUIC member universities. They expressed that BRAUIC had played a positive role in promoting global cooperation and development in education and research, providing platforms for research cooperation and academic development as well as valuable resources and experience for faculty and students among member universities. They hoped that BRAUIC members could take this conference as an opportunity to continuously deepen communication and cooperation, expand new cooperation projects, and make further contributions to education and global sustainable development.
In her speech, Huang Chunyan, Vice President of the Tianjin Association for Foreign Friendship, Foreign Affairs Office of Tianjin Municipal People’s Government, highlighted that Tianjin had been actively promoting high-level opening up, improving the layout of foreign exchanges, giving play to Tianjin ports, vocational education, industry and location, actively integrating into the construction of the Belt and Road, expanding and deepening international sister city exchanges and cooperation. The holding of the 2024 BRAUIC Conference & Forum not only provided a platform for universities and enterprise representatives from all countries to exchange ideas, share experiences, explore cooperation, but also offered an excellent opportunity for Tianjin to engage in dialogue with the international community and showcase its image on the international stage. Looking ahead, the Foreign Affairs Office of Tianjin Municipal People’s Government would continue to support TCU in participating in various exchange activities of the BRAUIC, and make use of the platform to jointly promote more international scientific research practices, integration and transformation of industry-university-research projects, and cultivation of innovative talents, promote cultural exchanges in a wider range and deeper level, jointly elevate the internationalization level of Tianjin, promote Tianjin’s foreign exchange and cooperation, and serve the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind.
New Logo of the BRAUIC
The conference unveiled the new logo of the BRAUIC, integrating innovative design concepts with the core values of the consortium, symbolizing the beginning of a new chapter of deep cooperation among the member institutions.
Signing and Awarding Ceremony
During the conference, a signing and awarding ceremony for new BRAUIC members was held. 7 universities and enterprises including Northeastern University of China, Samarkand State Architecture and Construction University of Uzbekistan, China First Highway Engineering Co., Ltd., Kazakh Leading Academy of Architecture and Civil Engineering of Kazakhstan, Addis Ababa Science and Technology University of Ethiopia, Inner Mongolia Technical College of Construction of China, Glodon Company Ltd. of China joined the consortium with the witness of all guests. Up until now, the number of member institutions increased to 91 universities and enterprises across 30 countries, spanning six continents, further expanding the scope of cooperation.
Flag Hand-over Ceremony
The attendees unanimously agreed that the Kazakh Leading Academy of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Kazakhstan would host the 2025 BRAUIC Conference. At the flag hand-over ceremony, Margarita Imandossova, Rector of Kazakh Leading Academy of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Kazakhstan, sincerely invited all member units to meet in the beautiful city of Astana in 2025.
Awarding Ceremony
The second part of the conference was hosted by Yang Jing, TCU Vice President. The event also included an awarding ceremony for the winners of the 2024 Belt and Road International Student Competition on Digital Architectural Design. Initiated and organized by BRAUIC, the competition has been held successfully for five times so far. Themed Protection, Renewal & Revitalization of the Historical Buildings Along the Belt and Road, the 2024 Belt and Road International Student Competition on Digital Architectural Design had attracted participation from 79 universities from 11 countries and regions, with more than 1700 teachers and students involved. TCU has been awarded organizational achievement award for the fourth year, and the recommended competition entries named Urban Integration, Urban Reception Hall Design and Rebuilding Freshmen - Urban Renewal Design Based on the All Age Friendly Perspective recommended by TCU School of Architecture were awarded honorable mentions, three TCU teachers, Li Xiaojuan, Chen Lijing, and Wang Kening, were awarded outstanding supervisors awards.
First Prizes
Second Prizes
Third Prizes
Honorable Mentions
Outstanding Supervisors Awards
Organizational Achievement Awards
At the conference, Professor Gao Weijun, Foreign Academician of the Engineering Academy of Japan, Doctoral Supervisor, Professor of The University of Kita Kyushu, Distinguished Professor at Qingdao University of Technology, delivered a keynote report entitled Sustainable Urban Development and Decarbonization: A Case Study of Japan. The report focused on sustainable development and decarbonization, exploring new concepts, new motivations, new technologies, and new trends in urban development, providing highly informative suggestions for achieving the goal of carbon neutrality by 2060.
Professor Chen Zhihua, Member of the National High-level Talents Program, Special Government Allowance Expert of the State Council, TCU Vice President, delivered a keynote report entitled Development and Application of Novel Spatial Structures and Prefabricated Building Structural Systems. The report presented the international cutting-edge research ideas and latest scientific research achievements of novel spatial structures and prefabricated building structural systems, and introduced the university’s role in promoting education, technology and talent through Tianjin New Industrial Prefabricated Building Technology Innovation Center, a municipal level science and technology platform at TCU.
Presidents’ Forum
On the afternoon of October 19th, the Presidents’ Forum and four parallel sub-forums were held simultaneously. Chaired by Yang Jing, TCU Vice President, the Presidents’ Forum attracted more than 30 leaders and representatives from universities, enterprises and organizations from China and abroad. TCU President Wang Zhongliang, BUCEA President Zhang Dayu, and Margarita Imandossova, Rector of Kazakh Leading Academy of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Kazakhstan, delivered keynote reports respectively entitled Gathering Momentum and Seeking Far, Determined to Innovate, Embracing a Beautiful New Future of Architectural Education Together; Seize Development Opportunities While Maintaining Strategic Focus, Together in Architecture, Building Prosperity for All and Partnership for a Sustainable Future: Educational Cooperation Among Architectural Universities under the Belt and Road Initiative at the Presidents’ Forum.
TCU President Wang Zhongliang
BUCEA President Zhang Dayu
Margarita Imandossova, Rector of Kazakh Leading Academy of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Kazakhstan
Other attending guests delivered speeches focusing on the theme Opportunities, Challenges, and Sustainable Development: Educational Cooperation Among Architectural Universities under the Belt and Road Initiative. They conducted in-depth discussions on further stimulating the cooperation vitality of architectural universities, improving the exchange activity mechanism, fostering scientific and technological collaborative innovation, jointly cultivating high-quality talents, deepening the industry-university-research cooperation, etc, with the aim of exploring the construction of a more open, integrated and innovative global community of higher education in construction engineering sector.
The four parallel sub-forums focused on themes including The Protection and Renewal of Urban and Rural Heritage; Green City and Sustainable Development; Urban Renewal and the Development of New Quality Productive Forces; Artificial Intelligence and Intelligent Manufacturing, etc. Experts and scholars from various industries were invited to share cutting-edge information, building a diversified scientific research exchange platform with international influence.
Sub-forum 1: The Protection and Renewal of Urban and Rural Heritage
Sub-forum 2: Green City and Sustainable Development
Sub-forum 3: Urban Renewal and the Development of New Quality Productive Forces
Sub-forum 4: Artificial Intelligence and Intelligent Manufacturing
Preparatory Meeting
At the preparatory meeting of 2024 BRAUIC Conference & Forum, TCU President Wang Zhongliang delivered a speech. On behalf of the BRAUIC, Yang Jianwei, BUCEA Vice President, reported on the 2024 work and the 2025 plan of the consortium. The attendees had extensive and in-depth discussions on the future development and construction, as well as the work plan for the next year of the consortium. The preparatory meeting reviewed 7 new applications for BRAUIC memberships, Proposal For The Establishment Of The Urban And Rural Planning And Architectural Design Professional Committee And Four Other Professional Committees, new BRAUIC Logo, agenda of the 2024 BRAUIC Conference & Forum, the venue for the 2025 BRAUIC Conference, etc.
During the conference, the attendees participated in the “Charming Tianjin” activity, they visited the featured schools and key laboratories of TCU, and conducted on-site explorations of Tianjin's historical and urban landscape such as the Tianjin Planning Exhibition Hall, gaining deeper understanding of Tianjin's historical and cultural features, characterized by the blend of ancient and modern, Eastern and Western influences, and diverse elements, and also its reputation as a "Museum of World Architecture".
Since the establishment of the BRAUIC in 2017, its global network has continued to expand, and its popularity, influence and appeal have continued to improve. Based on the deep integration of education, science and technology and humanities, BRAUIC has actively participated in bilateral, multilateral and regional education cooperation, and has gradually become an important platform for cultivating innovative talents and promoting scientific and cultural exchanges and cooperation in the field of architecture and engineering along the Belt and Road countries, making significant contributions to the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind.
TCU is one of the founding members of BRAUIC. Over the years, the university has been committed to actively promoting exchanges within the BRAUIC, widely participated in various activities organized by the consortium, constantly deepened practical cooperation with other member universities. This had advanced the cultivation of international talents, created high-quality international education brand, and supported the educational internationalization of countries along the Belt and Road.
This is the first time the BRAUIC conference has been hosted by a domestic university outside BUCEA, the chair institution. It is also the offline conference with the highest attendance of member universities and representatives besides the founding conference. The success of this conference is an important measure for TCU to implement the goal of Beijing-Tianjin urban integration, and has played a positive role in achieving the sharing of educational resources between Beijing and Tianjin, furthering the city’s efforts to internationalize its higher education. In the future, TCU will take the 2024 BRAUIC Conference & Forum as an opportunity to further implement national educational policies, actively advance high-level educational openness, seize the opportunity of university education cooperation in the new era, carry out diversified interaction and practical cooperation with consortium members, further explore the mechanism and mode of cooperation and exchange among architectural universities. TCU will also strengthen the training practice of engineering and scientific talents and build an architectural education community in countries and regions along the Belt and Road, further improve the international cultivation level of architectural talents and scientific and technological innovation cooperation, contributing to Tianjin's high-quality development.
