On October 31, 2019, the 2nd B&RUAS Summit Forum on Standardization Education and Research Cooperation jointly hosted by the Belt and Road University Alliance for Standardization Education and Academics (B&RUAS), China Jiliang University, Xi’an Jiaotong University, and Shaanxi Administration for Market Regulation was held at Xi’an Jiaotong University.
Over 200 guests from home and abroad, members of B&RUAS and many standardization professionals gathered at Xi’an Jiaotong University, the starting point of the Silk Road, sharing new development, new concept and new initiatives of standardization education and research, and exploring the positive role of standardization in global governance, international trade interconnectivity and sustainable development with the theme of “standards promoting interconnectivity of the world”.
The forum was attended by John Walter, president of ISO; Zhang Gang, deputy director of China Standardization Expert Committee and former counselor of the State Council; Li Yubing, deputy director-general of Department of Standards Innovative Management, State Administration for Market Regulation; Zhang Xiaoning, director and secretary of the Leading Party Members’ Group of Shaanxi Administration for Market Regulation; Wu Jinshen, member of China Standardization Expert Committee, former director of Science and Technology Department of AQSIQ; Song Mingshun, president of China Jiliang University; Wang Tiejun, vice-president of Xi’an Jiaotong University; David Felinski, Immediate past-president of International Federation of Standards Users (IFAN) and Sameer Sharma, ITU regional director a.i., Asia-Pacific.
Song Mingshun, chair of B&RUAS and president of China Jiliang University pointed out that “high-quality standards depend on high-quality standardization talents team, for which universities are obligated, and this is the original aspiration and mission of B&RUAS”. In 2018, B&RUAS was jointly established by over 100 universities from more than 30 countries at China Jiliang University. Over the past year, B&RUAS has carried out cooperation and exchanges in various ways, cultivated high-quality standardization talents, developed high-quality standards, and made a new and greater contribution to leading global high-quality development and building a community with a Shared future for mankind.
“The Silk Road in ancient times and the Belt and Road today both aim at promoting the interconnectivity of economies and civilizations around the world”, said Wang Tiejun. He pointed out that standardization gives wings to connectivity and will surely accelerate the integration of economies, histories and cultures around the world.
Zhang Xiaoning said that B&RUAS has built a bridge of integration between countries along the Belt and Road and opened an important channel for Shaanxi standards to "go out" and international advanced standards to "bring in" with standards.
Sameer Sharma pointed out that bridging the standardization gap is key to ensuring that developed and developing countries have equal access to information and communication technologies as the world moves towards the fourth industrial revolution. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) encourages and welcomes higher education institutions such as universities to participate in the development of standards.
F.W.P. Vreeswijk, general secretary and CEO of IEC showed care and support for the construction of B&RUAS, and expressed his gratitude for B&RUAS in promoting standardization research and education with the next generation of experts around the world.
The future of standardization belongs to young people, said John Walter. The construction and development of B&RUAS has made great contributions to promoting standardization education and research of universities.
“We urgently need to deepen international cooperation in standardization education and raise the level of standardization education through exchanges and mutual learning in the field of standardization education”, said Li Yubing. Under the background that the country promotes high-quality development, the society has higher and higher requirements on standardization, and the demand for talents to participate in standardization activities is also increasing.
In the keynote speech session, John Walter, Zhang Gang, Sameer Sharma, and Gao Jianmin, executive director of Western China Institute of Quality Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University respectively delivered speeches titled ISO Strategy 2030, Reflection and Practice of National Quality Infrastructure (NQI) Construction, Telecommunication Standards and Interconnectivity and Standards Being Core Competence of Enterprises. Experts from ISO Central Secretariat, IFAN, Agence Togolaise de Normalisation, University of Geneva, China National Institute of Standardization, Zhejiang University, Hunan University, Qingdao University, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, World University of Bangladesh and China Jiliang University delivered speeches focusing on theme of the forum.
Declaration of the Belt and Road University Alliance for Standardization Education and Academics (Xi’an) was announced at the forum. According to the Declaration, B&RUAS will “take the opportunity of the Belt and Road Initiative construction, pool wisdom and join forces to create a new chapter of Belt and Road University Alliance for Standardization Education and Academics, and jointly contribute to the inclusive development of human civilization and world connectivity”.
There were two sub-forums: Standardization Education and Talents Cultivation Promoting Interconnectivity, and Standardization Research Cooperation Promoting Interconnectivity. The sub-forums were attended by more than 70 standardization professionals from higher education institutions, research institutes, and national standard bodies from home and abroad.
(Written by Huang Lefu and Cao Xinxin / Photo by Dai Jie / Translated by Zhu Tiantian)
