The “Belt& Road” Aerospace Innovation Alliance (BRAIA) 2018 Council Meeting was held on October 14-15 in Xi'an with the purpose of pooling the outstanding resources of the global aerospace university and industry, enhancing the scientific power of the country, and promoting its own healthy and sustainable development. The meeting was organized by Northwestern Polytechnical University (NPU), the permanent secretariat of the Alliance. Over 70 delegates from China, Russia, Ukraine, France, Spain, Italy, Egypt, Pakistan, and etc attended the meeting.

Prof. Zhang Weihong, the Vice President of NPU, delivered a welcome speech. He said that the convening of the meeting was not only to consolidate the previous achievements of the Alliance, but also to establish a normative framework so as to get the operation of the Alliance moving into a healthier and more sustainable way.

Mr. Wang Yiran, the Secretary General of Chinese Society of Astronautics (co-initiator of BRAIA), said that with the continuous development of the Alliance, the establishment of standardized and efficient work procedures and rules would be of great importance for reaching consensus, guaranteeing the effective operation, and strengthening the mutual communication among members.

Over ten leaders and professors from universities and enterprises shared their experience in developing of aerospace innovative talents, aerospace science and technology, and promoting scientific research cooperation. The Permanent Secretariat reviewed the work since the establishment of the Alliance. Representatives of the members examined the internal working mechanism and institutional processes of the Alliance. The Alliance accepted the applications for new membership from The University of Sydney, Queen Mary University of London, North and South University of Bangladesh, and elected 15 Standing Council members. The new memberships reflect a better response to the “Belt& Road” Initiative.

In the future, the Alliance will continue to unite the strength of member units both home and abroad, and attract more influential universities, research institutions and enterprises in the aerospace field to join so as to enhance the cultivation of aerospace innovative talents, science and technology development, knowledge transfer, and to better serve the society.

The successful convening of the 2018 Council Meeting is a milestone, marking the Alliance has entered a new stage for win-win collaboration.