From May 12 to 17, Southwest Jiaotong University welcomed delegations from seven institutions across six countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Laos, along with Professor Benjamin List, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry. President Yan Xuedong met with the distinguished guests, accompanied by Vice President Zhou Zhongrong.

On the morning of the 14th, a delegation from the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) of Thailand visited the university. President Tippawan Lorsuwannarat expressed her gratitude for the warm reception and presented an overview of NIDA, detailing its vision for future cooperation with SWJTU. Following the meeting, the two institutions signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation and affirmed their commitment to advancing higher education initiatives and cultural exchanges.

On the afternoon of the 14th, a delegation led by Vice-Chancellor and President Shearer West from the University of Leeds held a working meeting with the university. President West noted that the University of Leeds has always regarded SWJTU as its most important strategic partner. She expressed a strong commitment to consolidating their shared strengths in engineering education, further deepening joint cultivation of high-level talent, and expanding exchanges in the humanities and arts, as well as the co-development of research platforms. The two sides pledged to join hands on the new journey of cooperation.

On the afternoon of the 15th, Professor Benjamin List, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, and foreign member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, visited the university to engage in in-depth discussions on frontier research, the progress of the chemistry discipline, the cultivation of high-level talent, and international research cooperation.

President Yan indicated that the university is committed to strengthening the foundation of basic sciences and promoting the integrated development of science and engineering disciplines. He hoped that this visit would serve as an starting point for the collaboration with Professor List, refining the high-level talent development system and continuously enhancing the university’s innovative capacity and global engagement in the field of chemistry.

Professor List highly praised the development potential of the university’s chemistry discipline and its vibrant research atmosphere. He expressed his willingness to strengthen academic collaboration with the School of Chemistry, and to render expert guidance in disciplinary planning, mission-critical research, and the development of youth talent. Subsequently, Yan presented Professor List with an honorary professorship certificate and pinned the university badge on him.

At the forum on “New Quality Productivity Forces Advancement in Transportation”, held on the afternoon of the 15th, Professor List shared his groundbreaking work in asymmetric organocatalysis, a frontier area of catalysis science.

Professor Sylvia Schattauer, President of the Clausthal University of Technology (TU Clausthal, Germany), delivered a keynote address on the circular economy and renewable energy, highlighting the duties and responsibilities of polytechnic universities in future energy transition. Meanwhile, President West delved into the development pathways of international education and cooperation from a global higher education perspective.

Marking a historic milestone during its 130th anniversary celebrations, the university forged substantive partnerships with three overseas institutions. President Yan Xuedong signed cooperation agreements with Charnchai Panthongviriyakul, President of Khon Kaen University (Thailand); Tatacipta Dirgantara, President of Institut Teknologi Bandung (Indonesia); and Nguyen Thanh Chuong, Party Secretary of the University of Transport and Communications (Vietnam). These landmark agreements pave the way for the establishment of three specialized joint entities: the Overseas Institute for Excellent Engineers in partnership with Khon Kaen University, the Tianyou-Djuanda Excellent Engineers College with Institut Teknologi Bandung, and the Tianyou Institute for Excellence in Railway Engineering with the University of Transport and Communications (Vietnam).

On the morning of the 16th, the university held a working meeting with the delegation from the Clausthal University of Technology from Germany. The two sides exchanged views on expanding collaboration in academic programs, research, and faculty-student exchanges, focusing on applications for joint programs in two fields: Computer Science and Artificial intelligence, and Digital Management.

On the same morning, the university held talks with the Khon Kaen University, the Institut Teknologi Bandung, and the University of Transport and Communications. President Yan mentioned that, over its 130-year legacy, the university has remained dedicated to rail transit, establishing a world-class academic system and talent development platform. When speaking of furthering cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative between China and ASEAN, he highlighted that the university stands ready to share its premium educational resources and experience with the three partners. Through the establishment of these new institutes, the university aims to build a robust multilateral platform to jointly advance the high-quality development of regional rail transit and deliver the tangible benefits of educational cooperation to people across ASEAN region.

President Charnchai noted both institutions have been collaborating in rail transit since 2021, having jointly established the Tianyou Railway Institute and launched key initiatives, including the high-speed rail training program and a “2+2” joint degree program. Moving forward, the two universities will continue to drive further cooperation by expanding faculty and student exchange visits.

President Tatacipta Dirgantara emphasized that the joint establishment of the Tianyou-Djuanda Excellent Engineers College marks a major milestone in the collaboration between the two universities. He noted that the college will focus on transportation-related fields, strengthen institutional ties, and promote scientific innovation to further advance rail transit cooperation between the two nations.

Nguyen Thanh Chuong reviewed the profound friendship that united the two universities for more than half a century, indicating that the establishment of the Tianyou Institute for Excellence in Railway Engineering will inaugurate a new era in China-Vietnam rail transit education collaboration. He pledged the university’s full support for the institute’s development, aiming to provide crucial talent backing for the modernization of Vietnam’s railways.

Following the meeting, the delegation from Khon Kaen University engaged in working-level talks on the joint establishment of the Institute for Excellent Engineers, with Vice President He Zhengyou in attendance.

During their stay, the guests visited the SWJTU-Leeds Joint School and spoke highly of the university’s fruitful progress in international education, gaining valuable insight into its outstanding achievements in integrating high-quality Chinese and British educational resources and cultivating international talent. The guests also toured the University History Museum, where the rich exhibits, illustrations and detailed commentary offered them a deeper understanding of the university’s 130-year history and profound cultural heritage.

As the university celebrates its 130th anniversary, this influx of global engagement stands as a testament to its past achievements in international exchanges while opening a new chapter in higher-level global cooperation. The university is striving to forge dynamic platforms for global engagement, accelerate the introduction of premium overseas resources, and expanding its worldwide outreach. By actively integrating into global innovation networks, the institution will continue to drive the sustainable development of global transportation and connectivity, pooling its strengths to help build a community with a shared future for mankind.