Education and the Belt and Road Initiative: European Aspects

The Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is major programme of trans-national economic integration and infrastructure building. Recalling the historical Silk Road, the BRI works to open economic corridors linking China with other countries through developing, funding and implementing infrastructure projects. An example of a project in Europe is the Chinese acquisition and development of the Greek port of Piraeus. While the BRI is clearly focused on infrastructure and trade, it also has a cultural and an educational dimension. The presentation discusses how the Chinese government envisages education as part of the belt and road strategy and how the infrastructure projects impact on skills and training in the countries targeted.