From April 9 to 11, the 7th UIC World Conference on Rail Training (WCRT), organized by the International Union of Railways (UIC), was held in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. The conference focused on core issues of railway talent cultivation, promoting the deep integration of industry, academia, and research, and injecting new vitality into the development of the global railway industry. More than 150 representatives from around the world, including government departments, universities, and railway operating enterprises, attended the conference. Dean Huang Helai was invited to attend the conference and delivered a keynote speech titled ‘The Central South University Model for Cultivating International Talent in Rail Transit under China’s Railway “Going Global” Strategy’ at the main forum.

Dean Huang Helai, integrating China’s Railway “Going Global” strategy and the university’s “Double First-Class” initiative, introduced the formulation of an international education development strategy for rail transit that encompasses construction technology, operation management, business communication, cultural integration, language proficiency, and talent cultivation under the approach of “going global, bringing in, and leveraging external resources.” He detailed the research conducted on international rail transit education and implementation, the development of strategic plans, the improvement of support mechanisms, and the construction of an international talent cultivation and training model characterized by “multiple stakeholders, co-construction, and sharing.” He also elaborated on the cultivation of high-quality international aid personnel and localized overseas professional technical and management talent, the enhancement of the university’s international education development level and the international operational capabilities of central and state-owned enterprises, and the results achieved in implementing the international talent cultivation and training work for China’s Railway “Going Global” strategy. The report was well received by the attending representatives, and Central South University’s forward-looking, pragmatic, innovative, and effective work for world railway training was highly commended.

China’s Railway “Going Global” strategy is both a concrete requirement for building a “Community with a Shared Future for Mankind” and serving the “Belt and Road” Initiative, and a specific implementation of national development of new quality productive forces, promoting dual circulation development domestically and internationally, and realizing Chinese modernization. Leveraging the university’s overall disciplinary and talent cultivation advantages, the School actively aligns with major national strategic needs, proactively serves the concept of building a “Community with a Shared Future for Mankind,” and takes initiative in the “Belt and Road” Initiative. It deeply integrates international education with international industry, aiming to build a high-end training platform and think tank that combines “government, industry, academia, research, application, and innovation” with both online and offline components. It has taken on the responsibility to successively create a series of exemplary international talent cultivation and training projects, represented by the capacity building for railway connectivity in Shanghai Cooperation Organization countries, covering entities such as the Ministry of Commerce, the National Railway Administration, China State Railway Group, China Railway Group, and CRRC Corporation.

First Review: Yuanyuhao Wang  Second Review:Xinlei Hu Third Review: Helai Huang