To implement the Chengdu-related outcomes of the 5th China-Central Asia Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, Chengdu University of Technology (CDUT), in collaboration with the Foreign Affairs Office of Chengdu Municipal People’s Government, participated in advancing the “Smart City” Talent Training Program for Central Asia. From April 14 to 19, 2025, a CDUT delegation composed of Professor Lang Xianguo, Director of the Department of International Exchanges & Cooperation, and Party Secretary of the College of International Education (Oxford Brookes College), Professor Zhang Wen from College of Ecology and Environment, and Associate Professor Li Dian from College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, conducted official visits to the Chengdu-Central Asia Economic and Trade Promotion Association, Fergana Polytechnic Institute in Uzbekistan, Bishkek State University, and Kyrgyz State Technical University in Kyrgyzstan.
From April 14 to 16, the delegation held discussions and conducted thematic training sessions with Rector Salomov and representatives from Fergana Polytechnic Institute. Professor Lang Xianguo introduced the Chengdu International Sister Cities Higher Education Institutions Alliance and extended an invitation for the institute to join this global platform. Both sides held in-depth discussions on topics such as international student recruitment, faculty exchange, and scientific collaboration, and Fergana faculty were invited to participate in CDUT’s upcoming talent training program for the five Central Asian countries. Rector Salomov spoke highly of CDUT’s disciplinary strengths and expressed a strong desire to deepen cooperation and sign a formal agreement. Professors Zhang Wen and Li Dian delivered specialized training in ecological and environmental science and geology, engaging in in-depth dialogue with over 200 faculty and students in related disciplines.
CDUT delegation meeting with the president of Fergana Polytechnic Institute
CDUT faculty interacting with Fergana Polytechnic students and staff
On April 17, the delegation visited the Chengdu-Central Asia Economic and Trade Promotion Association, reviewed the achievements of recent collaborations between CDUT and Uzbek partners, and explored a “University-Enterprise-Government” cooperation mechanism to foster the integration of academia, industry, and research. Both sides reached a preliminary consensus on leveraging CDUT’s disciplinary strengths to work with Chinese enterprises in Uzbekistan on customized talent development.
On April 18, the delegation visited Bishkek State University and met with Rector Myrlan Dyldaev and Vice President Gulzat. Both parties reached a consensus on scientific cooperation, joint application for Belt and Road laboratories, and talent training. Professor Zhang Wen also delivered a training session on ecological and environmental topics to an audience of 320 professionals and students.
Group photo at Bishkek State University
From April 18 to 19, the delegation visited Kyrgyz State Technical University, conducting a site inspection of the Chinese-Kyrgyz Joint Laboratory for Dynamic Disasters and Prevention of Consequences in Special Soils and Rocks. Associate Professor Li Dian conducted a specialized training in structural geology for a class of 30 professors and graduate students. Dean Abfiev Arstanbek Raimbekovich of the School of Mining and Metallurgy commented, “We look forward to collaborating with Chengdu on research into the Tianshan Metallogenic Belt and sharing geological data.”
Scenes from the training session
This visit successfully advanced the China (Chengdu)-Central Asia Youth Talent Training Program, further deepening CDUT’s academic exchanges and cooperation with Central Asian universities, and marking a solid step forward in the university’s path toward internationalization.
