International Summer School on High-quality Belt and Road Cooperation and the Contribution of Geography

The Belt and Road Initiative refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road. In September and October 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the cooperation initiatives for building the New Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. As of the end of June 2023, China has signed over 230 cooperation agreements for the Belt and Road Initiative with more than 150 countries and over 30 international organizations. In October 2023, the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation was held in Beijing, marking the most significant event commemorating the tenth anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative, themed "High-quality Belt and Road Cooperation: Together for Common Development and Prosperity". On November 24, China released its ten-year outlook for the future development of the Belt and Road. Hence, the Belt and Road construction has entered a new phase. Geography, as a discipline that studies the spatial distribution patterns, temporal evolution processes, and regional characteristics of geographical elements or geographical complexes on the earth's surface, will play an essential supportive role in the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. To cultivate interdisciplinary geography talents with an international perspective and innovative abilities and to assist in the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, the School of Geography and Planning at Sun Yat-sen University will organize an international summer school from July 14 to 27. The school will invite top experts and outstanding young talents from home and abroad to serve as lecturers, providing students with lectures on cutting-edge knowledge and developments in geography and how to use geographical thinking and tools to address practical issues in the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. The international summer school will be held offline, covering four majors: Physical Geography (including the sub-direction of Natural Resources and Ecological Environment Engineering in the Resource and Environment major), Human Geography (including the sub-direction of Territory Development Planning and Smart Urban-Rural Construction Engineering in the Resource and Environment major), Cartography and Geographic Information Systems (including the sub-direction of Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Engineering in the Resource and Environment major), and Urban and Rural Planning. Each major plans to enroll 60 students, including 20 international students and 40 Chinese students.

1. Application Eligibility

(1) Current undergraduate and graduate students from European, American, and Belt and Road cooperation countries, or current graduate students from Chinese universities and research institutions.

(2) Majoring in Physical Geography, Environmental Science, Ecology, Cartography and Geographic Information Systems, Remote Sensing Science and Technology, Human Geography, Urban and Rural Planning, Resource and Environment, and related majors.

2. Application Method and Materials

(1) Please complete and submit the following on-line questionnaire before 12:00 noon on July 3, 2024:

https://www.wjx.top/vm/YDdoYBW.aspx

Note: Please fill in your commonly used email and phone number.

(2) Please complete the "2024 International Summer School Application Form" (see attachment) and combine it with the related supporting documents into a single PDF file. Upload the PDF file to the following cloud drive by 11:59 PM on July 3, 2024:

https://pan.sysu.edu.cn:443/link/B25628BD0C87EE6D239AF473DC688ED9

This link will be valid until 11:59 PM on July 3, 2024. Please name the PDF file using the following format: International Student/Domestic Student + Your Name + Your School. If the file is updated after uploading, please add "updated" to the file name.

3. Preliminary Program

The summer school will be held at the School of Geography and Planning, East Campus, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China, from July 14 to 27, 2024.

4. Other Important Information

(1) No fees will be charged for this international summer school, and lunch will be provided free of charge during the summer school.

(2) Please be noted that travel, accommodation, and other expenses will not be covered. We recommend that students purchase necessary insurance on their own.

(3) During the summer school, we kindly ask that you pay attention to your personal and property safety, and follow the regulations set by the state, local authorities, and Sun Yat-sen University.

(4) Students who attend and complete all the courses in their registered major will receive a certificate of completion from the summer school.

5. Contact Information

Ms. Hu

Tel: +86-20-39339971

Email: hulixia@mail.sysu.edu.cn

School of Geography and Planning

Sun Yat-sen University

June 12, 2024