According to Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, the 2025 Annual Meeting and Forum of the Belt and Road Architecture University International Alliance was recently held in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The event brought together more than 500 representatives from over 40 universities and institutions across 10 countries, focusing on scientific and technological innovation as well as international cooperation in the field of architecture.
Since its founding in October 2017 by Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, the alliance has grown steadily. With the addition of 10 new members approved at this year’s meeting, the alliance now covers 101 institutions across 33 countries and regions.
During the conference, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, the National Academy of Sciences of Kazakhstan, and the Kazakhstan International Education Group signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU). The agreement marks the establishment of a long-term and stable strategic partnership in scientific research, technology transfer, and high-level talent cultivation, aiming to achieve complementarity of strengths and resource sharing.
In addition, Luban Institutes in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan were officially inaugurated during the forum. The overseas institutes will focus on core needs such as the protection and innovative transmission of architectural cultural heritage, the promotion of digital and green transformation, and the training of local civil engineering talents. They are designed to serve as comprehensive educational and practice platforms that integrate traditional craftsmanship, urban innovation, and international engineering education, providing intellectual support for deepened cooperation in architecture and urban development among China, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan.
Led by the alliance, the Global Architectural Heritage Digital Protection and Innovative Application Platform, jointly developed by Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, China Silk Road Group Co., Ltd., the Survey Department of Sri Lanka, and other member institutions, was also launched. The platform applies cutting-edge digital technologies to accurately document, research, and creatively utilize cultural heritage in multiple countries. It stands as a model of deep integration between science and culture, contributing to the permanent preservation and revitalized use of global architectural heritage.