The Youth Talks on Exchanges among Civilizations was held online and in-person in Beijing on March 20. The event was jointly hosted by the China Association for NGO Cooperation, the China Volunteer Service Federation and the Beijing Belt and Road Cooperative Community.

Yang Dan, president of Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) and deputy secretary of the CPC BFSU committee, and Jia Dezhong, a member of the standing committee of the CPC BFSU committee and vice-president of the university, were present at the event.

Yang Dan, president of BFSU and deputy secretary of the CPC BFSU committee, delivers a speech at the Youth Talks on Exchanges among Civilizations on March 20. [Photo/bfsu.edu.cn] 

The Belt and Road Initiative has inherited the spirit of the Silk Road, promoted win-win cooperation and yielded fruitful results, and the recently proposed Global Civilization Initiative, which advocates inter-civilizational exchanges and mutual learning to advance the progress of human civilizations, also involves the inheritance of the Silk Road spirit, Yang said.

Communication among the young generation is an important part of international people-to-people exchanges, Yang noted.

The 101 foreign language programs offered by BFSU and the concept of "based on language and beyond language" adopted by the university have broadened students' international horizons and strengthened dialogues among young people, Yang added.

Yang invited young talents from various countries to visit and study at BFSU, form common values through mutual understanding, and promote the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Twenty international students from BFSU read the Silk Road Youth Declaration on Implementing the Global Civilization Initiative in 20 languages with Fan Kexin, the short-track speed skating champion of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. [Photo/bfsu.edu.cn]

Twenty international students from the university read the Silk Road Youth Declaration on Implementing the Global Civilization Initiative in 20 languages together with Fan Kexin, the short-track speed skating champion of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

The declaration calls on young people across the globe to contribute their strength, boost cultural exchanges and mutual learning, and promote the blooming of human civilizations.

Agshin Aliyev, director of the Azerbaijani Language Teaching and Research Office at BFSU’s School of Asian Studies, speaks at the round table discussion. [Photo/bfsu.edu.cn]

During the round table discussion, Agshin Aliyev, director of the Azerbaijani Language Teaching and Research Office at BFSU’s School of Asian Studies, analyzed the cultural connotations of the Global Civilization Initiative from the perspective of Chinese culture, and discussed the significance of exchanges and dialogues among civilizations with people from all walks of life.

Officials, volunteers and international students from BFSU pose for a group photo. [Photo/bfsu.edu.cn]