From September 2 to 11, the first “Belt and Road” Academic Conferences and the Symposium & Colloquium on Knotted Field Theory with Applications in Physics & Biological Sciences, co-organized by Beijing University of Technology (BJUT), University of Milano-Bicocca (UNIMIB), Italy, Sino-Polish University Consortium (SPUC), Beijing-Hong Kong University Alliance (BHUA), BJUT College of Applied Sciences, Beijing-Dublin International College & Graduate School, and the Beijing Optical Society, was held in BJUT. Over 80 scholars and students from universities and institutions from 12 foreign countries including the United States, Britain, Italy, Canada, Germany, Russia, and Poland, and Mainland China and Hong Kong participated in the event. The theme of the forum focused on basic sciences was “Knotted Field Theory with Applications in Physics & Biological Sciences”. Forum chairs were Professor Renzo Ricca of UNIMIB, Professor Liu Xin, and Associate Professor Wang Wenyu of BJUT.

Vice President Wu Bin commenced the opening ceremony with a welcoming speech. First, he expressed warm welcomes and sincere thanks to all delegates attending the event and introduced the development of BJUT. He noted that in recent years, the Chinese government and BJUT has placed the greatest emphasis on basic sciences for the strategic development of the country, encouraging interdisciplinary and innovative studies. At the same time, BJUT has taken strong efforts to enhance its internationalization level, making notable progress in international exchange, talent introduction, and conference organization. The Knotted Field Theory with Applications in Physics & Biological Sciences Symposium & Colloquium was an example of successful international exchange and cooperation in the intersection of mathematics, physics, and biological sciences. This event, the first of its kind in China, focused on the applications of knot theory in physics & biological sciences.

Seven international academic authorities were invited to the event. They were Professor Kauffman (US), Professor Sumners (US), Professor Ricca (Italy), Professor Barenghi (UK), Professor Dennis (UK), Professor Sutcliffe (UK) and Professor Scharein (Canada). They were members of the American Mathematical Society, European Mathematical Society, American Physical Society, and European Physical Society, founding editors-in-chief and editorial board members of top journals in mathematics and physics, and reviewers and tech consultants to large research foundations in the US, Europe, and the UK. The strong line-up gave lectures in the ten-day summer school, providing students with a full picture of relevant issues. The two-day academic symposium allowed participating scholars and graduate students to give presentations and exchange information with each other, with live streaming and interactive commentary and discussion available for those unable to attend the event. The lectures are to be published globally by Springer, the world’s leading academic publishing house.

The novel form was well received by the academic community. The success of the event is sure to further enhance the internationalization level and international influence of BJUT in relevant fields of research. It will provide BJUT with new ideas and new ways for academic cooperation and build BJUT into an even more international institution.

So far, three international conferences in economics & management and mathematics & physics in the “Belt and Road” International Academic Conference Series have been successfully concluded. Other sessions will be held in October and November, i.e. the International Forum on Intelligent & Connected Roads and Sustainable Development and Forum on Low-carbon Urban Development, which focus on urban construction and environment and energy.