On March 24, the Belt and Road School (BRS) of Beijing Normal University (BNU) held the launch meeting for BNU's "Belt and Road" Research Initiative. Wang Shoujun, Member of the Standing Committee of BNU Party Committee, Executive Vice President, and Dean of BRS, attended the meeting and delivered opening remarks. Xu Jianping, former Director-General of the Department of Regional Opening-up at the National Development and Reform Commission , was invited to deliver a keynote speech and engaged in discussions with officials and scholars from developing countries. Cai Hongbo, Vice Dean of BRS, and Zhang Kunling, Secretary of the BRS Party Branch, along with more than 100 teachers and students from the Beijing and Zhuhai campuses, participated both online and offline. The meeting was moderated by Liu Qian, Vice Dean of BRS.

Wang Shoujun warmly welcomed Xu Jianping and expressed gratitude for his longstanding support to BNU and BRS. Wang highlighted that General Secretary Xi Jinping, at the Fourth Symposium on Advancing the Belt and Road Initiative, emphasized that the joint construction of the Belt and Road has entered a new stage of high-quality development. This significant statement not only clarified the direction for future efforts but also set the proposition for the new era. Wang stated that BRS would launch the Jingshi “Belt and Road” Research Initiative, encouraging active participation from young faculty and international students. This initiative would deepen industry-academia-research collaboration, producing more forward-looking and strategic research outcomes, while cultivating internationally oriented interdisciplinary talents essential for advancing the Belt and Road Initiative, to strongly support its high-quality development.

Xu Jianping delivered a keynote speech titled “Connotations, Achievements, and Future of Jointly Building the Belt and Road.” He highlighted that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is the first global, large-scale, and comprehensive economic cooperation initiative since the beginning of the reform and opening-up policy. Its primary goal is to build an interconnected global network, allow people from various countries to share in China's economic development dividends and promote mutual development worldwide. Drawing on his extensive experience as a participant, practitioner, and promoter of the initiative, Xu elaborated on the core principles, positioning, and essential characteristics of the BRI. He reviewed significant accomplishments achieved over the past 11 years and outlined pathways and priorities for the next “golden decade”.

During the interactive discussion session, Xu Jianping addressed international students' concerns regarding sustainable development, education, and employment. He noted that international students served as crucial bridges connecting their home countries with China. He encouraged them to deeply engage in field research and studies to better understand China's achievements and experiences across various sectors, ultimately developing into valuable talents who can contribute significantly to the countries along the Belt and Road.

Following the meeting, Xu Jianping participated in a calligraphy exchange with attendees. He presented graduating international students from the class of 2025 in the master's program for developing countries with his calligraphy artwork, inscribed with the Chinese phrase “Jia He Wan Shi Xing”, symbolizing harmony within families and prosperity for nations, conveying traditional Chinese wisdom and sincere best wishes.