During the winter vacation, the university's academic exchange delegation successfully completed a six-day academic exchange mission at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura (hereinafter referred to as "USJ") in Sri Lanka and returned to campus smoothly. This exchange is a further deepening of the cooperation following President Li Lu's visit in July 2025, where the two universities jointly launched the "China-Sri Lanka Friendship Silk Road Academy". It aims to advance the implementation of the cooperation agreement between the two universities and continuously expand practical cooperation in the fields of education, scientific research and cultural exchanges.

I. From Top-Level Design to Project Implementation: Sustained Progress in Academic Exchanges

In July 2025, President Li Lu led a delegation to visit USJ and jointly inaugurated the "China-Sri Lanka Friendship Silk Road Institute", marking a new stage of cooperation between the two universities. At the invitation of Professor Pathmalal M. Manage, Vice-Chancellor of USJ, the five-member academic delegation led by Wu Ronglan, Deputy Director of the Office of International Affairs/Associate Professor from the School of Humanities and Foreign Languages, and consisting of Dr. Wang Bei, Dr. Hu Heng from the School of Humanities and Foreign Languages, as well as Dr. Zhang Yanhong and Dr. Jing Qian from the School of Economics and Management, focused on promoting the implementation of specific academic projects under the cooperation framework. During the visit, the delegation received a warm reception from the President, Director of the International Office and deans of relevant faculties of USJ. Through a series of lectures, workshops and academic talks, the two sides conducted in-depth exchanges and interactions with teachers and students of USJ on cooperation topics, achieving a series of substantive outcomes.

II. From Diverse Interactions to Cultural Resonance: Integrated Advancement of Academic Exchanges and Cultural Experience

In terms of academic exchanges, centering on two micro-majors—International Communication and Digital Culture and Tourism—the academic delegation delivered a number of special lectures and workshops for students from USJ’s Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and Faculty of Management and Commerce. The content covered Chinese culture, language teaching, tourism development, the digital economy and the application of digital tools, with a lively on-site atmosphere and enthusiastic participation from Sri Lankan faculty and students.

Regarding cultural experience, the workshop themed "The Cultural Connotation and Practical Expression of Chinese Spring Festival Home Decorations," planned by Dr. Wang Bei and Dr. Hu Heng from the School of Humanities and Foreign Languages, was widely welcomed. Through activities such as writing Spring Festival couplets, making rubbings of the Chinese character "Fu" (blessing), paper cutting and pitch-pot throwing, students experienced traditional Chinese culture firsthand, further deepening their understanding of China and fostering cultural resonance.

Professor Pathmalal M. Manage, Vice-Chancellor of USJ, personally presented certificates and letters of appreciation to each member of the delegation, demonstrating the high attention the Sri Lankan side attaches to this academic exchange.

III. From Framework Consensus to Mechanism Construction: Solid Steps Forward in Inter-University Cooperation

This exchange promoted several areas of inter-university academic cooperation, including three special symposiums:

1. New Directions in Humanities Cooperation:

The two sides conducted in-depth exchanges on cooperation in international Chinese language education at the Silk Road Academy, and on this basis, expanded several new cooperation directions: first, the confirmation of the "3.5+0.5+1" joint undergraduate and postgraduate training program for the English major; second, our university will select 2 to 3 teachers to be appointed as postgraduate supervisors at USJ, enabling their in-depth participation in postgraduate supervision work; third, the two sides will co-organize the 2027 International Research Congress on Humanities and Social Sciences (IRCHSS 2027), where our university’s teachers will be invited to deliver keynote speeches and publish papers, with relevant research findings set to be eligible for publication in SSCI-indexed journals.

2. Extensive Interdisciplinary Academic Collaboration:

USJ’s Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Faculty of Urban Water Ecology and Bioresources, Faculty of Technology and other faculties took the initiative to express their willingness to cooperate. The two sides discussed the feasibility of joint scientific research, faculty and student exchanges, and project applications, and will advance the implementation of specific cooperation proposals in the follow-up.

3. Establishing New Academic Connections:

With the introduction of USJ, our university has reached a cooperation intention with the University of Kelaniya, a public university in Colombo, on recruiting international students to study in China. The two sides will jointly promote the signing of relevant agreements and the selection of students.

Based on the outcomes of the exchange, several collaborative projects have clear timelines for advancement: In April this year, approximately 40 USJ faculty and students will visit China for a study program; Further details regarding MBA cooperation will be discussed by the respective schools; Cooperation proposals in fields like Health Sciences, Resource Environment, and Digital Technology will also be gradually refined and implemented.

IV. From Theoretical Discussions to Resource Co-construction: In-depth and Collaborative Development of Scientific Research Cooperation

Teachers from the School of Economics and Management carried out a series of in-depth academic activities focusing on China-Sri Lanka digital economic cooperation. Scholars from both sides conducted collective proofreading on the academic monographs Digital Services and Inclusive Development: The Digital Wave in Asia and Chinese Practices and Trends in Higher Education Theories and Practices, and held a special seminar on the joint construction of the "China Digital Economy Case Library", clarifying the case selection criteria, teaching application methods and mutual learning mechanisms.

Conclusion

This academic exchange is not only a concrete implementation of the outcomes of the high-level inter-university visits last year, but also a crucial step for the two universities to advance the normalization of talent training, scientific research collaboration and cultural mutual learning under the framework of the China-Sri Lanka Friendship Silk Road Academy. Through in-depth interactions, the two sides have further built consensus, clarified cooperation paths and consolidated project foundations, laying a solid groundwork for future cooperation.

At the achievements presentation meeting held just before the delegation's departure, USJ Vice Chancellor Prof. Manage expressed sincere gratitude to our university. He specially thanked President Li Lu, Vice Presidents Ye Shiping and Chen Jun for their long-term support for USJ, and praised the enthusiasm and thoughtfulness our university demonstrated when receiving the Sri Lankan delegation. He fully acknowledged the contributions made by the relevant teams of our university’s Office of International Affairs, School of Humanities and Foreign Languages, School of Economics and Management and Interdisciplinary Research Institute to inter-university cooperation, and stated: "We look forward to the realization of all our cooperation goals in 2026, and may the tree of friendship between our two universities bear more fruitful fruits."

President Manage’s message is both a high recognition of the decade-long cooperation between the two universities and a beautiful vision for opening a new chapter in the joint construction of the Silk Road Academy. Our university will continue to take education as a bridge and academic research as a sail, and work hand in hand with USJ to promote faculty and student exchanges, scientific research collaboration and cultural mutual learning. We will jointly cultivate high-quality talents with an international vision, and contribute educational strength to China-Sri Lanka friendship and the development of the Maritime Silk Road.