At noon on September 23, 2024, the School of Architecture and Design held a class meeting for freshmen of the Master Program In Urban and Rural Planning 2024. Professor Han Bing, dean of the School of Architecture and Design, vice professor She Gaohong, vice dean of the School, professor Zhang Chun, deputy director of the department of urban and rural planning, Wang Yalin, counselor of the program, and all the new master students in 2024 attended the class meeting.

         On behalf of the school and faculties, Han Bing expressed a warm welcome to the 32 new students who come from 12  "Belt and Road" countries, and briefly introduced the school's history. He said BJTU is a national key university under the direct administration of the Ministry of Education, jointly supported by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Transport, the Beijing Municipal Government, and China State Railway Corporation. It is an active contributor to the development of the "National 211 Project", the "985 Innovative Platforms for Key Disciplines Project" and the Double First-Class construction. It is the first higher institution founded under the modern education system for the cultivation of railway professionals. Since its establishment 128 years ago, BJTU has been actively participating in and witnessing the construction and development of the China's rail transit and has become a significant base for scientific and technological innovation and talent cultivation of China’s rail transit.

         In recent years, China is promoting high-quality cooperation under Belt and Road initiative, giving full play to the advantages and characteristics of transportation, and promoting the internationalization strategy. Since the "Belt and Road" initiative was launched, BJTU has cultivated talents in transportation construction, urban and rural planning , operation and management in an "order-based" manner for more than10,000 technical and management professionals from over 100 countries along the "Belt and Road". BJTU has also been deeply involved in the infrastructure construction of the countries along the "Belt and Road", leaving a strong mark on the magnificent picture of the "Belt and Road". Early of this year, President Xi Jinping personally replied to the international students of BJTU and encouraged us to continue to move towards internationalization.

         Finally, Han Bing expressed his wishes for the studies and life of the students in the next two years. “I hope that the students of this class can act as the ambassadors of the "Belt and Road" to build national exchanges and make the exchange of technical talents between China and the "Belt and Road" countries more smoother.”, he said.

         Then, She Gaohong gave a detailed interpretation of the graduate training process. He explained that the Master Program of Urban and Rural Planning of Beijing Jiaotong University (full-English program) combines the advantages of the university in transportation planning and other related disciplines and forms a discipline development orientation based on urban space planning and design, featuring the research on the integrated development of urban space and transportation, and aiming at building a low-carbon city. In 2011, our school was granted the right to confer master's degrees in the first-level discipline of urban and rural planning. The research directions include regional development and territorial spatial planning, urban and rural planning and design, urban renewal and community construction planning, urban and rural development history and heritage preservation planning, and urban and rural ecological environment and transportation infrastructure planning. After completing all the required credits, passing the grades in all subjects, and completing the necessary training links, the students can apply for early graduation with the approval of the supervisor. The minimum study period is not less than two years.

         Finally, Professor Zhang Chun introduced the management team of the program and the relevant requirements and regulations for international students to comply with during the school period.

         At the end of the class meeting, all the participants took a group photo in front of the School of Architecture and Design.