emlyon business school has proudly joined UASR (University Alliance of the Silk Road), one of the most prestigious university alliances along the Belt and Road Initiative. This Alliance was initiated in January 2015 by Xi’an Jiaotong University and its partner universities and it was formally established on May 22nd, 2015. Till now there are 154 universities from 38 countries and regions have participated into the Alliance which is a global educational platform.

UASR aims to build collaborative platforms in higher education and foster regional openness and synergies. The UASR will advance institutional exchanges and partnerships on the Silk Road routes in regards to talent education, scientific research, cultural dissemination, policy studies, and medical service etc.

There was a series of important events in Xi’an organized from September 17^th-20^th, 2019.

The 5th Executive Council Meeting of UASR was held in Xi’an on September 17th, 2019 and during this event Prof. Dr. Nikola Zivlak, Deputy Director Undergraduate/Graduate Programs emlyon business school Asia presented emlyon business school, ideas and potentials for cooperation. After the voting process, Executive Council had approved emlyon business school as a full member of UASR.

2019 UASR Presidents’ Forum, main yearly event of UASR, was open on September 18th, 2019 in the new campus of Xi’an Jiaotong University - Western China Innovation Harbor. 57 Institutions from 19 countries and regions participated in the Forum.

With the theme of “Action, Development, Future”, Mr. Lin Yifu, the former vice president of Word Bank, Dr. Wang Huiyao, the Director General of Center for China and Globalization and Prof. Dr. Mark Wrighton, the former president of Washington University of St Louis made the keynote speech. In the opening ceremony, Prof. Dr. Wang Shuguo, president of Xi’an Jiaotong University delivered the welcome speech on behalf of the president university and the Secretariat of UASR.

Mr. Li Mingyuan, the Mayor of Xi’an and Mr. Liu Jianlin, the Vice Director of the Education Department of Shaanxi Provincial Goverment also made the welcome speech on behalf of the local government.

At the end on September 19th, 2019 there was the first UASR Working Meeting held at Xi’an Jiaotong University, and at this meeting emlyon business school actively took a role as a member of UASR to discuss potentials for cooperation in fields of business and education.

This will be a great opportunity for the whole emlyon business school and especially for the campus in Asia to expand cooperation and to partner with all the universities and institutions who belong to this Alliance. This can especially strengthen position of emlyon business school in Western China and especially with Xi’an Jiaotong University, one of the most prestigious universities in China.