Students enrolled in the global engagement program launched by Shanghai Jiao Tong University on June 26 will be engaged in tackling typical issues faced by countries involved in China and the Belt and Road Initiative. According to the statement of the university organizers, over 10 countries and regions will be involved in the program that includes 13 projects.

The projects cover research and surveys on specific themes before coming up with solutions to problems related to the environment, medicine and civil engineering.

Ten of the projects will be carried out during the summer, while the remaining three will be held in winter, from December to January next year. Each project will last between two and four weeks.

More than 200 students are expected to join the program, according to the university.

"Every project is challenging as most of the students have never set foot in these areas," says Cao Yongkang, director of the International Research Center for Architectural Heritage Conservation at the university.

"The program will definitely motivate them to realize their social responsibility in the new era and inspire them to solve the common problems of humankind."

Cao will lead one of the teams in investigations of villages in Zhejiang province's Lishui city.

This project will involve setting up furniture and facilities that are urgently needed by residents. The team will later visit villages in the Italian Alps to explore new development models for locals, and compare the practices for these two countries.

"The project is designed for those majoring in architecture, city planning, sociology, and other related subjects, and will equip them with a comprehensive understanding of rural revitalization," says Cao.