On April 19, the inauguration ceremony of the Design Sub-Alliance of the University Alliance of the Silk Road, and the appointment ceremony of the Academic Committee of the XJTU-POLIMI Joint School of Design and Innovation, were held at iHarbour, Xi'an Jiaotong University (XJTU).

Wang Shuguo, president of XJTU, Liu Jiaping, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), Hong Jun, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC XJTU Committee and vice-president of XJTU, Sergio Pignari, a professor of Politecnico di Milano, on behalf of the university's president and Liu Keqiang, vice-president of Shaanxi Automobile Group Co., Ltd., attended the event, which was presided over by Yang Shuming, executive head of the XJTU-POLIMI Joint School of Design and Innovation.

Wang Shuguo (left) and Sergio Pignari inaugurate the Design Sub-Alliance of the University Alliance of the Silk Road.

The Design Sub-Alliance was established under the framework of the University Alliance of the Silk Road to promote academic exchanges and co-prosperity of design disciplines. XJTU, along with the heads of architecture and industrial design disciplines from multiple universities, initiated it through equal consultation.

At the same time, the appointment ceremony of the academic committee of the XJTU-POLIMI Joint School of Design and Innovation was held. Twenty-three Chinese and foreign academic members were appointed. 

During the event, XJTU and Shaanxi Automobile Group Co., Ltd. established the Joint Design Innovation Center.

Since the Belt and Road Initiative was launched in 2013, XJTU has initiated the founding of various disciplinary sub-alliances for energy, machinery, management and law, promoting in-depth exchanges and cooperation among universities.