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AUA Youth Forum

Building a Meta Silk Road: Integration of Asian Cultures in the Real and Virtual Universe

Date: 2022-11-07

From October 24 to 28, 2022, the Asian Universities Alliance Youth Forum under the theme of “Building a Meta Silk Road: integration of Asian Cultures in the real and virtual universe”, was hosted by Nazarbayev University (NU) in Astana, Kazakhstan.

The AUA Youth Forum (AUAYF) focused on particular themes such as Artificial Intelligence & Data Science, Public Health, Asian Civilizations, and Future Habitatsthat corresponds to the concept of the AUA year.

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At the Youth Forum, about 40 participants represented 8 AUA member universities: Nazarbayev University, University of Tokyo, Chulalongkorn University, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, United Arab Emirates University, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Universiti Malaya, and the University of Colombo (online).

On October 24, the Forum opened with welcoming remarks by NU President Shigeo Katsu and Provost Ilesanmi Adesida. Ms. Loretta O'Donnell, NU Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, delivered her speech on "Heritage and Silk Road," and Ms. Aliya Kaimoldinova, Head of the Office of Global Relations, gave a talk on "Internationalization.”

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NU President Shigeo Katsu, mentioned the increasing role of digital technologies and the historical connection between Silk Road countries and emphasized the importance of communication between people and the value of cultural exchange.

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"We are happy to host students from our institutions in the AUA family as participants in the Forum on Meta Silk Road. Artificial Intelligence and Smart Systems have become the infrastructure of life; this Forum will examine their intersection with the areas of business, finance, and environment and their impact on culture in the heart of the Ancient Silk Road," said NU Provost Ilesanmi Adesida.



During the week, students from AUA member universities exchanged knowledge, experiences, and cultural values. The Youth Forum program included workshops by NU professors on the following topics as research in AI, AR/XR/VR, data science, and computer graphics; AI in Environmental Health; Cyber Security and Blockchain; “Data as the new oil: Alibaba's multi-billion business model building on data analytics”; “Preserving Silk Roads Heritage: Challenges and Solutions. In addition, participants had a chance to attend scientific workshops and seminars and visited the National Park – Borovoe resort area where they learned about Kazakh cultural heritage.


On the closing day, students wore their national costumes, shared a piece of their culture with creative performances, and reflected on what they had learned about Kazakhstan.


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Contributed by Nazarbayev University