On December 13–14, the 2024 Maritime Silk Road International Conference on the Cooperation and Integration of Industry, Education, Research and Application Guangxi University Civil Engineering Session—The 4th International Conference on New Western Land-Sea Corridor Engineering Disaster Prevention and Mitigation & Structure Safety was held at Guangxi University. The event was organized under the guidance of the Department of Development and Planning, Ministry of Education, and the Education Department of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, hosted by Guangxi University, and co-organized by the School of Civil Engineering and Architecture of Guangxi University.
Xiao Jianzhuang, a member of the Standing Committee of the University Party Committee and Vice President of Guangxi University, attended the opening ceremony and delivered a speech. Vice President Xiao emphasized that this conference is an important platform to fully implement the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping. It is instrumental in promoting pragmatic exchanges and collaboration among universities, research institutes, and enterprises from Belt and Road countries and regions in the fields of industry, academia, research, and application. As a leading institution in higher education in Guangxi, Guangxi University has consistently prioritized international collaboration in these fields. It actively aligns with the demands of the times, focusing on the New Western Land-Sea Corridor, while expanding educational exchanges and cooperation with countries along the Maritime Silk Road and promoting deeper integration of international industry-academia-research-application cooperation. He expressed hope that experts and scholars would engage in open discussions on major cutting-edge scientific issues and technical bottlenecks in engineering construction, share academic insights and research achievements, serve the Western Land-Sea New Corridor, and contribute to the development of Guangxi.
21 experts and scholars from both domestic and international institutions delivered academic presentations under the theme of “Engineering Disaster Prevention, Mitigation, and Structural Safety for the New Western Land-Sea Corridor.” Key topics included “Full-Life Safety of High-Performance Structures,” “Intelligent Construction and Smart Maintenance of Long-Span Arch Bridges,” “Durability of Nearshore and Marine Engineering Materials and Structures,” and “Intelligent Construction and Safe Operation of Canals.”
The conference adopted a hybrid format, combining online and offline participation. Nearly 200 representatives, including experts, scholars, and students, from renowned universities and research institutions in Pakistan, Singapore, Brunei, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, as well as from domestic institutions such as Tongji University, Hunan University, Shanghai University, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Guangxi University, Changsha University of Science and Technology, Guilin University of Technology, and the Oriental Institute of Technology and Advanced Research, participated in the event.
