The 102nd IKCEST Training Programme for Silk Road Engineering Science and Technology Development was held from Nov. 1st to 7th, 2021. It was co-hosted by the International Knowledge Centre for Engineering Sciences and Technology (IKCEST) under the Auspices of UNESCO, and Xi’an Jiaotong University, and was co-organized by the IKCEST Silk Road Training Base. 105 trainees from China (Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan) and Pakistan participated in this training programme. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this training programme was held online.

Themed on prevention and control of COVID-19, this training programme aimed to enable trainees to understand three aspects of knowledge related to COVID-19. 1. The basic knowledge, transmission route and epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 virus; 2. The diagnosis, differential diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 coronavirus; 3. The countermeasures and management measures of other departments such as Internal medicine, Surgery, Gynecology and Pediatrics during the epidemic situation. This programme was delivered by experienced teachers from First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University. The lectures are: Differentiation of three kinds of Coronavirus Pneumonia（SARS, MERS, COVID-19）, Epidemic characteristics and response strategies of COVID-19, How to diagnose coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Advances of Studies on Remdesivir Against Coronaviruses including SARS-CoV-2, The challenge and way to deal with under the outbreak of COVID-19 for the Surgical operation, Clinical characteristics and typing of coronavirus pneumonia in children, How to deal with the new coronavirus calmly from the aspects of ordinary people and etc. A combined approach of video-on-demand (shortened as VOD) study, quiz in video, online discussion and after-class practicing were employed in the online training. The students freely arranged the learning schedule to complete online learning tasks, and had active discussion during the training.

Up till recently, 101 sessions of IKCEST Training Programmes for Silk Road Engineering Science and Technology Development have been held by Silk Road Training Base, training more than 10,000 foreign students and staff from export-oriented Chinese companies from over 100 countries. This training programme plays an important role in cultivating talents and promoting the Belt and Road Initiative. In the Meanwhile, it also made important contributions to the promotion of cultural, scientific, technological and educational exchanges as well as the economic and social development of European, Asian and African Belt-road countries and regions.

The International Knowledge Centre for Engineering Sciences and Technology (IKCEST) is a category II centre under the auspices of UNESCO and was established in June 2014 in Beijing. Chinese Academy of Engineering is responsible for the operation and management of the IKCEST. IKCEST aims to provide knowledge-based services at a global scale in the form of consultancies, scientific research and education for policy-makers and engineering science and technology professionals in the world, with particular reference to the developing countries. In February 2017, based in Xi’an Jiaotong University, IKCEST Silk Road Training Base was established, aiming to train more engineering science and technology talents, and enhance the capacity building in developing countries.